


The Reign of the Four Kingdoms

by EllePellano



Series: The Four Kingdoms [4]
Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-25
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 32,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25648678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllePellano/pseuds/EllePellano
Summary: The war is over and a new reign has begun. The new rulers of the four kingdoms have declared peace but Queen Anna's heart is yet to find it.
Relationships: Asakura Yoh/Kyouyama Anna, Iron Maiden Jeanne & Tao Ren, Kyouyama Anna & Tao Ren, Tamamura Tamao/Usui Horokeu | "Trey Racer" Horohoro, Usui Pirika & Diethel Lyserg
Series: The Four Kingdoms [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805443
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Volume 3 Recap: The War of the Four Kingdoms

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King

Days before the Royal Patch Academy's Friendship Ball, Yoh and Anna devised a plan on how they could ditch their partners while they look for Ren. The Kaminari prince was visited by his former bodyguard, Bason in the academy to deliver his ball clothes. Meanwhile, seasoned assassins, Luchist Lasso and Opacho made their own preparations for their next kill.

Upon arriving at the ball venue, Pirika saw the Kasai delegation consisting of the Asakura twins, Tamao and a mysterious blond girl. They had entered the hall before Ren was able to see them. Inside the venue, Pirika left her school friends when Tamao came to catch up with her. While she was away, Ren confronted Lyserg about his antagonistic behavior. On the other side of the hall, Anna went to the refreshments table to execute their plan of giving Hao a drink mixed with laxative. However, Tamao who was speaking with Pirika at that time, saw the blond girl carrying the drinks. She took them to spite Anna and ended up drinking from Hao's glass. As Tamao dealt with her loose bowels, Pirika went back to her school friends and overheard Ren admitting to Lyserg that he was only using her so she would help him find Anna in Kasai and Kouri. A heartbroken Pirika left the group in tears. While Lyserg tried to pursue the Kouri princess, Ren started to feel extremely drowsy. He was accompanied by Jeanne back to the academy in order to rest. Ren hallucinated about making love with his fiancée that night. After he left, the Royal Friendship Ball was rocked with an explosion. Duke Liam who was there at the venue specifically to keep an eye on the Kaminari prince, spotted Luchist calmly walking in the middle of the commotion and had him arrested.

The morning after the ball, Ren was informed by Bason about the threat to his life. He was being summoned by his father back to Kaminari after learning of last night's fiasco. Lyserg came to Ren to apologize for keeping the death threat a secret from him. He admitted that the drink given to the Kaminari prince was spiked with a sedative. On the other hand, Pirika came to report to Ren that she saw Anna with the Kasai delegation. A hopeful Ren decided to follow his father's orders and leave the academy.

In the Royal Police Headquarters, Duke Liam Diethel interrogated Luchist and realized that the blast at the Friendship Ball was just a decoy to force everyone to go back to their respective kingdoms. By the time they reached the Port of Morphia, the Kaminari royal ship was already ablazed at sea. One of his men informed the Duke that his son, Lyserg was spotted boarding the sunken ship with the prince.

Back in Kasai, Amidamaru confronted Faust after finding Mosuke's logbook detailing his bulk purchases of sleeping powder from the medicine man. To refute the warrior's speculations that he was an accomplice to the murder of the Kouku Royal family, Faust revealed his true citizenship and his involvement in King Mikihisa's secret dealings with King Hideki Kyouyama. Three days later, Amidamaru was captured in Kouku and killed by King Yuan as soon as he learned of the Kaminari royal ship's bombing. Convinced of the enemies' threats, the Kouku generals rallied behind their new king and supported King Yuan's campaign to attack Kasai and Kouri. The Kouku and Kaminari Royal armies crossed the Great Spirit's River and laid waste to everything they passed including Faust's home. Eliza was killed while Faust was captured alive after he revealed that the Kouku princess was still alive.

The Kasai delegation arrived at the port and noticed people rushing to leave the kingdom. They learned of the impending war and were immediately summoned by King Mikihisa to the palace. Anna revealed her true identity after Kanna showed proof of her royal bloodline. Not wanting Anna to face the death penalty for trespassing, Yoh took all the blame for bringing her to Kasai. While the throne room made sense of Anna and Yoh's trespassing story, the Kaminari and Kouku armies arrived at the central town.

King Yuan Tao and General Ryuuken Tori came to see Mikihisa to negotiate Anna's release. They presented the star-shaped gold pin as evidence that Kasai orchestrated the Kouku Royal family's murder and also accused them of kidnapping the princess and blowing up the Kaminari royal ship. Yoh admitted that he lost the Asakura heirloom and had paid Mosuke to create a replica when he visited him during the spy mission. He denied the accusations of the two kings though. To appease the Kaminari King's wrath over the death of his heir so he could stop the war, Yoh surrendered to be executed the next day to which King Mikihisa calmly agreed. While in the dungeons, Faust visited Yoh and let him drink his last bottle of sleeping serum. The chief of the palace guards reported to King Mikihisa about the heir's death in an apparent suicide.

Meanwhile, Pirika introduced Ren and Lyserg to her brother, Horo Horo at the Kouri palace. The boys had boarded the Kouri royal ship as stowaways so they had escaped the bombing of the Kaminari royal ship. After hearing their plight, Horo Horo decided to help them go to Kasai by lending them horses and allowing them to use the king's passage. Ren and Lyserg arrived at the Kasai palace and found Anna and Hao arguing in front of Yoh's body. The two best friends were finally reunited but Ren soon realized that Anna had already fallen in love with the dead Kasai prince.

The next morning, Horo Horo and Pirika arrived to attend Yoh's wake. King Yuan, General Tori, and a couple of soldiers went to the palace to confirm the Kasai heir's death. King Yuan was shocked to see Ren alive. When King Mikihisa asked General Tori to handover the real Asakura heirloom to Anna, the princess noticed the slight design differences between the real one and the replica from Yoh. As she had memorized what the Asakura clan's insignia looked like, she declared that the one from General Tori was fake. Faust contradicted Anna's claim and told everyone that the general's pin was genuine but it was an heirloom of the original Kasai royal clan, the Doujis.

General Tori revealed himself as a descendant of King Asaha Douji. Wanting to take back the throne from the Asakuras, he had used King Yuan's distrust of Kasai and Kouri to ignite a war. The general also revealed that it was King Yuan who ordered the attack on the Kouku royal family. The Kaminari king hired some assassins to scare King Hideki Kyouyama off so he could be convinced of Kasai and Kouri's threats. General Tori superseded King Yuan's job request and asked the assassins to kill the Kouku royal family instead. After telling his motive, General Tori fired an arrow at Hao, the remaining Kasai heir in order to end the Asakura lineage.

While the soldiers of the four kingdoms beat up the last Douji descendant, Anna grabbed the Harusame from Yoh's body with an intent to kill the Kaminari king. As Ren tried to stop his fiancée from murdering his father, Yoh finally woke up to everyone's shock. After appeasing Anna, Yoh went over to his dying father who took General Tori's arrow in order to save Hao. Meanwhile, the Kaminari heir sentenced his father to exile for the crimes he had committed against the Kouku royal family. The chaos ended with Ren, Hao, and Anna being crowned as the new rulers of Kaminari, Kasai, and Kouku kingdoms, respectively.


	2. Goodbye Kasai

When King Mikihisa's funeral pyre was lit, thousands of people had gathered in front of the palace gates carrying candles and laying down flowers they picked from whatever was left from the woods. The townsfolk were oblivious to what had actually transpired inside the palace. What they did know was that the deceased king was a hero who gave up his life to end the third war.

The Kouku and Kaminari armies began to move out the morning after the bells tolled thrice. People were wary of them passing through their towns but the soldiers had been leaving their stash of food and water by their doorsteps as a peace offering. It was a sign of changing times. There were also rumors circulating that the peace treaty which had reigned over the Four Kingdoms for more than one hundred years would soon be abolished and they would be free to go anywhere in the land as they please.

The day after the funeral, the Kasai and Kouri royal bloods bid farewell to their new allies. Queen Anna stuck her head out the window of the horse carriage lent to them by the recently proclaimed Kasai king. She was speaking with old Queen Kino who had expressed her intention to stay good friends with her despite her return to Kouku. When his grandmother was finished saying her farewells to the young queen, Prince Yoh approached her with a sad smile. They've been together for the past few months so he would need time to get adjusted to her absence.

"There's a part of the river shallow enough for you to cross on horse back but it's a bit far from your place. Sorry about Hao not letting you bring the carriage over... Ryuu and Manta will accompany you until you reach the Kouku palace." Prince Yoh instructed her.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. I will deliver your beautiful queen to her home." Ryuu made a salute to the Kasai prince.

"Please remind them not to ruin the royal carriage. It's the only one that's decent enough for me to ride." King Hao called out from behind his brother.

"Don't mind him, Anna..." The prince scratched his head with embarrassment. "The carriage might be too heavy for it to cross the river anyway."

"Are you telling me that I'm too heavy, Yoh?" The Kouku queen took his hand and wrung it hard. Prince Yoh winced in pain. He made a mental note not to bring up anything related to weight anymore.

"Of course Yoh is just joking, Anna." King Horo Horo patted the prince's shoulder. "It's Ren's heavy aura that would actually drag your ride down." The Kouri monarch smirked at the Kaminari king who was sulking in one corner of the vehicle and looking at the opposite direction.

"Shut up horse face." King Ren muttered. He was getting both impatient and jealous of this conversation between his fiancée and Yoh Asakura. Just how many minutes more do they need before they could leave? He wished for it to be over soon so they could finally be on their way.

"Hmmm... Now angry Renny has another person to be irritated at. Chocolove would be so jealous." Lyserg told Pirika who was standing next to him.

"Oh, do you mean my brother or Yoh?" the Kouri princess chuckled. She loved how they could converse like this now. Months ago, they hated each other's existence. It would probably take time for some people to get used to though. She gazed at one of the open windows of the palace behind her. She knew Tamao was standing there seeing Anna off in her own way. Probably it was best for her not to witness this up close. It was hard not to notice the special bond between Anna and Yoh. Pirika wondered if they were really secret lovers which some palace people claimed to be true. She also wondered how Ren would react if he found out about their relationship.

"I think the river would be too afraid not to let you cross," Prince Yoh squeaked as he stared at Anna in fear.

The queen loosened her grip on his hand. "Well, you take care of yourself. Your brother might poison you or something."

"I'm appalled at how awful you judge my character, Anna." King Hao appeared to be hurt but the queen knew he was faking it.

She rolled her eyes at him and asked his twin earnestly, "Really, would you be alright on your own, Yoh?" The boy's father had just died and despite finally accepting his responsibilities, he had lost the crown to his brother in the end. He needed a friend now but she was leaving.

"You have my word, Anna. I will try my best to keep them away from each other's throats," Faust assured her.

The prince nodded at the blond queen. "You've taught me well, you know. I will be totally fine but I will surely miss you." He caressed her soft cheek. He was surprised that she did not slap his hand away. He would miss seeing her lovely face in the morning even if it was stone-cold most of the time.

King Ren looked away and focused on what he could see on his side of the window which was basically nothing remarkable. He swore this would be the first and last instance Yoh Asakura would do that in front of him. Meanwhile, the rest of the group stepped back to give the pair some space.

"Thank you for everything, Yoh... I... I'll be looking forward to seeing you sometime in the future." Queen Anna squeezed his hand. "We better get going now..." She waved goodbye to everyone before instructing the driver to go.

"Anna, wait..." He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a necklace with a three-rose pendant. He placed it on her hand and grinned. "I found it in my funeral suit. I'm just returning what was yours. Can I come visit you some time?" The Kasai prince felt a blush warm his cheeks.

"Of course." Queen Anna tried to hide her own blush. She would definitely miss this goofball. She took one last look at Prince Yoh before shutting the window and letting out a smile.

"That moron would have to swim across the river if he wanted to see you..." King Ren muttered in his seat.

* * *

**Two weeks** **later...**

"You wanted to speak with me, brother?" Prince Yoh approached the throne where the new king was sitting idly. Their father's robes suited his twin pretty well. Hao really looked regal as the new ruler of Kasai. He was genuinely happy for his brother despite losing the throne to him. Well, it was originally his in the first place. Faust tried to explain why he had chosen Hao over him but Yoh trusted the medicine man's judgment so he didn't need to explain himself.

"You should say, Your Highness. I'm your king now. How could Father sit in this chair all day long? My butt hurts..." King Hao spoke with a tone of boredom. "Anyway, you haven't given me your report yet after your trip around the kingdom. Are you busy daydreaming about the Kouku queen?"

The prince's face went bright red. "Sorry, brother... I was just about to give this to you..." He then took out a rolled parchment from his pocket. "I have asked around Koichi and nearby towns about the clans who had left at the start of the war, and this is the list I came up with."

The king unfurled the parchment and groaned as he read each name with his eyes until he reached the end of the list. "The very affluent ones, huh? Some of them are even relatives of our father. These people don't have any balls at all."

"We can't blame them, brother... If I'm not mistaken, some of the clan heads had experienced the hardships caused by the second war first hand. They just wanted to protect their loved ones. It's for their families' best interest that's why they left Kasai."

The king thought for a moment. "Very well, I will let you know about the next steps soon. In the mean time, one of our horses had been decommissioned from construction work. Seemed he's too old to pull timber. We can't use him in rebuilding the war-torn towns. Go check if he has recuperated. Maybe he can still travel from here to somewhere... I don't know... near the Great Spirit's River?"

Prince Yoh's eyes glazed. The king had finally allowed him some free time to visit Kouku. He could have escaped his brother's supervision and run off to the other side of the river like what he did to his father before but that was what the young reckless Yoh would do. The death of his father and the war had made him more mature. "Thank you, brother. I wouldn't be gone for too long."

"I highly doubt that. Please let the next visitor in on your way out if there's any." The king waved his hand to dismiss him.

"You know... a bridge between Kasai and Kouku would make things much easier. Don't you think so?" The prince grinned at his twin before rushing outside.

Fifteen minutes later, Manta Oyamada entered the room bearing a letter.

"For a moment, I thought nobody's coming to see me anymore." King Hao groaned and shifted his position on the throne. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. It was really uncomfortable sitting there for a long time. How could his father had done it? Maybe he was wincing in pain underneath the bird mask but nobody knew.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. I met Prince Yoh along the way and we chatted for a while. It wasn't my intention to make you wait..." Manta bowed down and quivered. He was a bit intimidated by the new king.

"Rise, little one. I can barely see you in that position. So what brought your little feet here?"

Manta approached him and handed the paper. The king unfolded it and read through its content with his eyes.

"I would like to resign from my position as royal spy, Your Highness. There isn't a need for one anymore and I would like to focus my energies on something else." Manta reiterated his statement in the letter after the young monarch had not spoken a word.

King Hao scratched his nose. So the rumors of his impending decision to reduce the number of staff had finally spread across the palace. The little guy was right. It was necessary because a number of positions had been made redundant by the outcome of the war. There just wasn't enough coins to run the Asakura household anymore. Much of their savings were spent on rebuilding the kingdom. It was the most logical thing to do as the new ruler. He had to squash any feelings of dissatisfaction among the commoners over the new king or he would risk losing the throne.

"I accept your resignation. What will you do moving forward?"

"I'll be taking over my father's business, Your Majesty."

"You have a business? Why did you even dabble yourself with espionage? Anyway, what sort of trade?"

"Construction, Your Highness."

The king looked on with keen interest. "Could you procure a design for a bridge then? I may have to speak about this with the Kouku queen. There's no way, Kasai will be paying for everything."

"Ohh, you mean a bridge over the Great Spirit's River, sire?" Manta was excited. This would be his first project as the new owner of the family business after all.

"Where else?" The young king stood up and stretched his arms. "I'm done for the day. Come, let us talk on the way out."

"Is this the first step towards peace, Your Highness?" Manta beamed at him. "I'm delighted to be a part of it."

"No, it's for my family's best interest. I like what you said though. I'm going to use that line in my pitch to Anna."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was added after the original version ended in Fanfiction.Net. This was to address the lack of interaction between Anna and Yoh after the war and served as a prelude to Yoh's important mission.


	3. The Great Spirit's River

Queen Anna felt like strolling by the river bank that morning. She wanted to ponder on things and maybe take a few hours break from her new role. She had started travelling around towns for the past few days to check on what needed to be done. As much as she had enjoyed it, the trips were really exhausting. She did not have a right hand man like what her father had before. She wasn't sure if she wanted one anyway after the last one turned out to be the orchestrator of the third war. The Kouku generals were still cleaning up their squads to get rid of General Tori's supporters. In the mean time, she didn't want anyone from the royal guard to tail her around. She was pretty much on her own.

Like her, Ren had started to take the helm of his kingdom so he had to focus on Kaminari during its transition to a new reign. Before he left, her best friend said that he wanted to ask her something when he comes back. Sadly, he had not visited Kouku for days ever since he went home. They did not get the chance to talk about the arranged marriage yet. She had been thinking about it more often after returning from Kasai. Her father was dead and Ren's father wasn't king anymore. They could have revisited the arranged marriage agreement between their kingdoms anytime they wished. Yet, there wasn't enough opportunity it seemed. Ren was probably busy adjusting to his new responsibilities. They were all were even Yoh... She missed that idiot.

"Anna!"

The Kouku queen furrowed her eye brows. She must have been hearing voices. There was no way the Kasai prince would have come to this place. Perhaps she wasn't used to not seeing him around. They had always been inseparable the whole time she was in Kasai and his presence was something she had already been accustomed to.

"Hey, Anna! I'm right here!"

She heard it again. Surely she must not be dreaming. She squinted her eyes at the thick grove across her and saw the prince tying his horse around a tree.

She gasped. "Yoh, what are you doing here?"

"I've come to visit you! One moment please..." Yoh left some apples for his horse and ensured that the rope was long enough for it to go near the water and drink. He stroked its mane and whispered soothing words to its ear before declaring, "I'm going there now."

"How?" The queen looked a bit alarmed. "Just go farther down and cross the shallow part of the river like what you've told me last time."

The prince thought for awhile then started taking off his shoes and shirt. Then he tied his hair into a pony tail with a piece of rope he found in his pocket.

"What in Great Spirit's name are you doing?!" The queen screamed at him from the other side.

Before Anna could stop him, the boy had already jumped into the river. The blond queen dropped to her knees the moment he disappeared under water. The current must have carried him away. Stupid, stupid, stupid Yoh...

A few minutes later, she heard soft squishy steps approaching.

"Hey, I'm really a good swimmer, you know." The grinning prince sat down next to her but his smile was wiped off with a loud slap on the right cheek.

"You're crazy, Yoh Asakura!"

"Ouch... Sorry, Anna... I was just excited to see you and I thought swimming was a faster option. A bridge would have been a big help at times like this, don't you think so?" The prince made a rectangular shape with his fingers. "That would be a nice spot over there."

"Yes, it could stop you from drowning, you moron. I couldn't let you die again... I may have to speak with your obnoxious brother about this bridge."

"I'm sure Hao would welcome that idea... So, how are you, Anna?" The prince grinned at her.

She missed that toothy smile but of course she wouldn't admit that to him. "I've been preoccupied with my royal duties. It's difficult without a parent teaching you but I'm learning and coping. How about you?"

"Well, I work for my brother now. I've been tasked to speak with all sorts of people, military leaders, traders, commoners. It's nice to travel around Kasai for a change. The royal training I had undertaken for years had prepared me for this job. Well, not as a king, but still a representative to the monarchy..."

"There are other ways to serve your kingdom, Yoh. Come with me." The Kouku queen stood up and dragged the prince with her.

She brought him to the palace and asked the maids to bring him some of her father's clothes. They were shocked to see a dripping wet, topless young man step foot into the palace. They were even more shocked to learn that he was the prince of Kasai. After they had a hearty breakfast and Yoh had washed up, the pair boarded the royal carriage to visit the central town.

"It's my turn to show you around. It's not only Kasai who is progressive but we don't have those disgusting street food you asked me to taste before."

"You're right, Anna. Kouku is beautiful, too! But it was more fun when we did this as commoners in Kasai..." The prince thought out loud as he stretched his neck to peek at the cobbled street and stone houses they passed by. He savored that moment when he could finally roam around Kouku without fearing for his life.

Anna would have to agree with Yoh this time. Anywhere they went, they were greeted with curtsies and bows. They were more carefree when they were just ordinary folks exploring around towns. Some people flocked to them to speak with the queen about their grievances and needs. Some were just curious about how she survived that night which she hated recounting and telling to people over and over again.

The Kasai prince was admiring the blond queen as she calmly spoke with a group of townspeople when a small child tugged at his shirt.

"Are you the king?" the young girl asked him. Everyone in Kouku knew that their queen was betrothed to the prince now king of Kaminari. It was announced to the entire kingdom after the surprise engagement ball. Anna noticed the interaction between Yoh and the child but before she could respond, the child's mother had approached the Kasai prince.

"We are looking forward to the royal wedding, Your Majesty. It's been awhile since there's a celebration in the kingdom." The woman clasped her hands together. "You both look perfect for each other!"

Yoh just smiled and played along. He entwined his fingers with the blond queen's for everyone to see. "I think so, too!"

The queen tried to hide her blush. Holding hands with Yoh gave her a warm feeling. That goofball was enjoying every moment of it. "Well, we should be going now. Thank you for your warm hospitality." Anna shook hands with the woman and several other townsfolk before boarding the carriage.

"I'm sorry you have to go through that..." she said to him when they were back on their seats.

"It's fine. I know you haven't broken off your engagement with Ren. I'm not expecting anything, Anna. It's still your decision and I won't ask about your decision now. In the meantime, let's just enjoy our... friendship. Hey, do you have any exotic dish from Kouku you would want us to try out?"

"Not a chance, Yoh."

"I have no chance?"

"I meant trying disgusting food."

"Oh, so... I do have a chance..."

* * *

**Two weeks later...**

Prince Yoh closed his eyes as he tried to absorb the Kasai king's words while he shared his plans with him. He had hoped to regularly visit Anna in Kouku but that idea would have to be scrapped for now. The urgency and importance of the mission was apparent to him after listening to his brother's revelation about the state of their kingdom's finances and recalling the destruction he had seen when he roamed around towns. The people of Kasai needed him.

"Did you hear what I just said?" His brother eyed him from behind the desk. They had been talking about his new mission in the mini library. Faust told them that it was their father's most favorite spot in the palace. King Hao completely understood why. It was more peaceful and more conducive to think and decide on pressing matters in that room. He had asked Yoh to see him there after his return from Kouku. "We don't know how long the mission will be. Are you still up for it?"

The prince nodded. "Yes, I promise Father that I would help you rebuild Kasai."

"And Anna?"

Yoh sighed. He was not sure how she would take it. Not that he's making any assumptions. He was just convinced that he had a chance with her. "I will tell her as soon as possible."

"Good luck then! I didn't really expect you to say no. Do you have any wishes before you leave?"

The prince thought for a while. It's not everyday that his brother would grant a request from him. Hao wasn't the generous type after all. "Yes, there is one. Anna is going around Kouku on her own. I would be grateful if someone would accompany her to protect her while I'm away. I think Ryuu fits the job. I trust him. He is jobless right now so please consider him. And-"

"Argh, there's more?"

"You did not say how many wishes, brother... so..." Yoh scratched his cheek.

"Fair enough."

"I'm planning to give Father's ancestral home to Tamao. She's a relative of his so I just thought she should have a share of Father's properties. Besides, nobody's living there anymore. I just want your approval."

"Oh so you have broken off your engagement with her?"

"She did... The arranged marriage terms state that she is betrothed to the heir but you became king so I'm no longer the heir."

"Great! I'm glad she did." King Hao wouldn't want Tamao breathing down his neck at the start of his reign. Not that he would allow it.

"I just thought I should give her some place she could stay. She wanted to leave the palace... But she couldn't tell you..." The prince remembered his ex-fiancée's exact words.

_There's no way I'm staying in the same place as that maniac._

He didn't want Tamao to live alone in that house but the girl promised him that she would be fine. She would be taking a few of the palace maids with her since Hao would be reducing the household staff anyway.

"You don't need my approval about the property. Father had written your name on the land title. Not mine." The king took a parchment from one of the drawers and handed it to Yoh. "Have the royal scribe write the transfer of title for you with Tamao's name on it. Affix your signature on the new document then you can burn this one."

"Thank you, brother!" The prince beamed at his twin.

"One more thing..." Hao reached for one of the string-tied scrolls lying on his desk. "What do you think of this?" He unfurled the parchment and showed a blueprint of a bridge to him. It was an arch stone bridge with the symbols of the four kingdoms incorporated into the design.

Yoh's eyes sparkled with delight because his brother had listened to his suggestion. The bridge would symbolically and literally connect the four kingdoms with each other. After it's construction, it would be easier to visit Anna in Kouku but it might take a long time for him to do so. He tried to brush away the negative feeling and just focused on the paper in front of him.

"The design is beautiful, brother! Please give my compliments to the architect. I'm sure Anna will approve." Then his eyes fell on some scribbled text at the bottom of the paper. "Well, maybe it's better if you change the name from 'Hao Asakura's Bridge' to the 'Great Spirit River's Bridge'."

"Hmmm... Not. Happening. Ever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was added after the original version ended in Fanfiction.Net. This was to address the lack of interaction between Anna and Yoh after the war and served as a prelude to Yoh's important mission.


	4. An Era of Peace

"Someone's been missing from the throne room for several weeks..." Faust remarked as he closed the door of the Kasai mini library. He found the new king, Hao Asakura poring over some scrolls by his desk. His brows were furrowed as he read through the papers.

"Well, nobody's seeking audience with the king and there's no table there." He dipped his quill into the ink and affixed his signature on each page.

"Are those... what I think they are?" The blond medicine man asked with great interest as he peered at the writings.

"Yes," the king softly blew on the wet ink so it could dry faster.

"So we are finally doing it, huh? It took more than a hundred years before we could abolish the peace treaty."

"Yes, people can cross borders, live and work wherever, and marry whomever they want in this land. All thanks to my father's efforts and the failed plan of some lunatic king-wannabe." King Hao rolled up the scrolls as soon as the ink had dried up.

"That's some good news especially for your twin brother."

"Yoh has to contend with the King of Kaminari first. A marriage promise is a contract with the Great Spirit but it will still be Anna's choice. The Tao king is such a prick if he would not respect her decision."

"What if Anna chooses Ren Tao?"

"She will not. I saw how Anna and my brother cared for each other with my own two eyes. If they're not in love then they are fooling themselves more than everybody else."

"How about Tamao?" Faust reminded him.

"Tamao was bethroted to the heir of Kasai. Apparently, my twin brother is not heir anymore. I'm the king now and I have no heir until my child is born which is highly unlikely cause I hate babies. Anyway, if Anna decides to break off her engagement with the Tao king, good for Yoh but Anna has to pay for the wedding. The war left us broke..."

King Hao took out the original heirloom from a drawer. "How much do you think this jewelry would cost in the black market?"

"I would advise against selling that. It's one of the oldest artifact in Kasai."

"Shame. It's pretty useless now." The king placed the heirloom back in its place. "So have you come to fill in your previous role to give unsolicited advice to the current ruler?"

"That is what I'm actually here for... As I'm really a citizen of Kouku, I'm planning to return to my birth place and offer my services to the new queen."

King Hao chuckled. "Anna doesn't listen to anyone, you know."

"Still someone needs to protect her. She's alone there."

"I had arranged for that. We don't need spies anymore so there are a few names in the roster that have lost their jobs and have no other livelihood to go back to. I recommended someone to be Anna's bodyguard as General Tori may still have sympathizers within the Kouku royal army."

"Are you referring to Ryuu? I saw him left on a horse earlier... "

"I'm always one step ahead of you." The king smirked at him.

"Well, it makes sense. He also liked drinking there. He has probably grown accustomed to Kouku with the numerous missions he had carried out in that part of the land."

"Nah.. I just want his ugly face out of Kasai."

"How very charming of you, Your Highness."

The new ruler stood up from his seat and stared out the window. It's funny how the two of them could speak with each other on friendly terms now. The medicine man wasn't a staunch supporter of his since he was a child. It came as a shock to everyone when his father's former right hand man declared him as king instead of his brother. "Why did you give the crown to me, Faust? My father is dead. He's not there to oppose if you appointed Yoh to be the next ruler."

"Your father wanted you to succeed him from the very start. I just honored his wish."

"And why did he want me? I've done terrible things..."

"Because he believed that you can change..."

The young Kasai monarch grew silent. "On their march towards the palace, the Kouku and Kaminari armies had laid waste to a number of towns. Our remaining funds were allocated to rebuilding the damaged homes but a lot of people were left without any livelihood. The war drove away affluent families whose businesses provided income to our citizens for a long time. I know those rich folks were friends with my father even before he became king. I was hoping they would willingly return to a more peaceful Kasai."

King Hao turned around to face him. "I have asked Yoh to help me convince them as I cannot leave the kingdom in this state and woo them myself."

"And he agreed?" Faust eyed him.

"Of course. Our father had instructed us to help each other out."

"I'm positive your brother would do it even without Mikihisa's request."

"I know... But he can't do it alone. He needed someone to accompany him, someone whom my father and his circle trust, someone who can protect him... "

"Someone like... me?" Faust pointed at himself.

The king shrugged. "Yes, why not? If you're willing to accept your first mission under my rule..." He crossed his fingers behind him as he waited for the blond man's reply. There wasn't another person to whom he wished to entrust his brother.

The medicine man thought for a while. His wife was gone and his home had burnt to the ground so he didn't have anything to go back to. The termination of the peace treaty would also mean he could serve any monarchy in the four kingdoms and he did made a promise during Mikihisa's funeral that he would guide his sons. "As you wish, Your Grace." Faust bowed down. "Has Yoh told Anna about the mission yet?"

"I'm expecting that he would tell her soon."

"Hmm... I do think that the mission would be a significant factor in Anna's decision especially if there's no definite end to it. She would eventually be pressured by the people around her to produce an heir."

"Well, that's why I've asked you to help my brother to speed things up. If Anna decided to marry the Tao king because Yoh had to leave for quite sometime then I would be the prick who would try to change her mind."

* * *

**Three days later...**

A number of high profile guests from all over the land had gathered in the Kouku palace to mark a significant date in the history of the Four Kingdoms. The throne room was filled with royal bloods and commoners alike to witness this historic moment.

Lyserg, his father, Duke Liam, and to Ren's dismay, Chocolove were standing next to the Kouri delegation composing of Princess Pirika, her father, Lycan Usui, and her brother's bodyguard, Tona. The former Kouri king was flashing dagger looks at Lyserg who was holding his daughter's hand. The two had started dating after the princess returned to the academy.

The recently-widowed Queen Keiko Asakura attended the event with her parents, her other son, Prince Yoh, her late husband's distant relative, Tamao, the former king's hand, Faust, and the former spy, Manta Oyamada who was now running his family business after his father had retired.

On the other side of the room, Queen Ran Tao patiently waited for the ceremony to start with her daughter, Duchess Jun who was happy to have stepped foot on their land once again after years of being away. She was definitely heartbroken after receiving her brother's telegram but when her father showed up at her mansion, all her anger was replaced by pity. The former Kaminari king would sit by the library all day and ask about Ren from time to time.

The Kouku delegation was the biggest in number since the kingdom was the host. All of the military generals were in attendance. They were engaged in an animated discussion with Ryuu who stood at the center of the group telling stories about his exploits in the kingdom as a spy from Kasai. They seemed to have taken a liking to the queen's new bodyguard.

At the center of the throne room was a small circular table around which the four young rulers stood a few meters away. In the middle of the table was a burning torch and a quill dipped in black ink. Surrounding the torch were four unfurled parchments with a corresponding ruler's signature affixed for each one. The four young monarchs each held a rolled up scroll in his hand.

The noise died down when the king of Kouri began to speak. "I, King Horokeu Usui of Kouri, hereby abolish the old peace treaty and establish a new one from this day on until the end of time." He fed the scroll that he was holding into the fire then proceeded to sign the other three scrolls that did not bear his signature. He went back to his position after doing so.

He was followed by King Ren Tao of Kaminari, King Hao Asakura of Kasai, and lastly, Queen Anna Kyouyama of Kouku. The only female ruler rolled up the four scrolls lying on the table after the ink had dried up. She handed a scroll to each of her male counterparts.

"I swear to the Great Spirit that I will honor everything in the new peace treaty." The four monarchs raised their right hand and promised in unison. Everyone in the throne room cheered.

"It's time to celebrate!" King Horo Horo announced to the crowd.

Queen Anna waved at the palace servants to open the throne room doors and lead the guests into the ballroom where the festivities would take place.

While the merrymaking was in progress, the blond queen stealthily slipped into one of the meeting rooms where the royal family portrait was hanging. She was trying to recall why she looked annoyed in that painting. More importantly, she was trying to muster enough courage to speak with Ren later about her decision to end their arranged marriage. She had been thinking about this for several weeks since Yoh went to Kouku to spend time with her. He didn't come back to visit until now. Probably he was busy following orders from his twin. His absence made her realize how she wanted him to be by her side. She was going to tell him that she decided to choose him but Yoh wasn't his usual warm friendly self since he arrived earlier.

"Leave me," she commanded when she heard the door creaked open.

"I'm sorry, Anna. Am I disturbing you?" Prince Yoh closed the door behind him.

"Yes." She faced him with a look of annoyance. "What is the matter, Yoh? You've been avoiding me since you came in this morning."

The prince took a deep breath. "Anna...There's something that I must tell you but I don't know how..."

"I don't like the sound of that. Come on, spill it out. I hate it when somebody makes me wait."

The Kasai prince avoided her gaze once more. "Anna, I'm leaving for a mission... I don't know when I would be able to return..."

The Kouku queen turned around when tears started to well up in her eyes. She had almost lost him before and now he's going away for an indefinite amount of time. "Your brother's order I presume?"

Prince Yoh nodded, "Kasai needs me..."

"When are you leaving?" She asked as she wiped the tears that had trickled down her cheeks. It was stupid of her to think that they could be together. She knew Yoh would never turn his back on his responsibilities to his kingdom despite his carefree attitude. She had told him several times to man up and now that he did, it would be selfish of her to make him choose her over his people.

"As soon as we return to Kasai..." The prince reluctantly approached her. "I will come visit from time to time but I don't know exactly how long it would take to complete the mission... I know it's just wishful thinking but... Can you please wait for me?" The prince put his hand over her shoulder but she did not turn around to face him.

If she were still a princess, she would but she was a queen now. She had to ensure her lineage's continuity and consider her kingdom's future in every decision she would make. As the new ruler, her feelings should come last and no matter how it pained her to admit it, they both would always come second to their respective kingdoms. She was stupid to let her heart decide when it should be her head who should do all the thinking. A future with Yoh was something she badly wanted but it was filled with uncertainties. He couldn't even give her an exact answer as to how long she should wait for him. At that moment, she just couldn't get past the feeling of hurt and disappointment.

"Like I said. I hate waiting." She pulled his hand off her without looking at him. "Go and serve your kingdom like a good royal would."

Prince Yoh ignored her coldness. He took her hand and kissed it long. "I will think about you everyday, Anna..."

He then enclosed her in a tight embrace and kissed her golden locks. "Every time I stare up at the night sky and see the stars, I will always remember the good times we had... I'm wishing for the day that we could be together... forever... " His voice broke and his tears fell on the girl's neck. "I love you, Anna.. but you don't deserve to be put second to Kasai..."

The queen closed her eyes and inhaled Prince Yoh's scent. She wanted to preserve every memory of him while it lasted. She allowed him to cry on her shoulders for a few minutes but she lacked the courage to look at him. She was too afraid that if they stared at each other's eyes, they might decide to do something stupid like leave everything behind and just go on an adventure together.

"Leave me..." she whispered to him as she unlocked his arms around her. "You are free to go as you please..."

He kissed her hand one last time. With a pained expression, the Asakura prince left her alone in the room. As soon as she heard the door shut, Queen Anna broke down on the floor and cried in front of the family portrait.

"You don't deserve to be second to Kouku either, Yoh... I love you so much..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the original version of this story in Fanfiction.Net, I left the readers clueless as to what was going on in Anna's head. It appeared as if Anna was still torn over who she would choose just because I myself was still torn that time. I only emphasized on her feelings and not her thought process (which was also heavily influenced by her emotions that time). So in this updated version, I wanted to correct this ambiguity. Anna did made a choice which was Yoh but her choice might turn out to be unobtainable because of the mission. As the new queen and the last of the Kyouyama main branch, she knew her decision would have repercussions in the future. So on the spot, she chose NOT to choose Yoh so he could fulfill his duties to his kingdom and she could fulfill her duties to hers.


	5. Graduation Day

"Argh!"

Pirika screamed in frustration as she lifted her skirt to prevent it from touching the dusty stone pavement. She was half running, half walking in a pair of high heels while enduring the heat from the royal blue toga she was wearing over her dress. She should have been comfortably seated between her school friends by now had she accepted Chocolove's offer to ride with him earlier. She was the last to leave the Royal Patch Academy because her irresponsible big brother did not have the urgency to wake up on time. He was supposed to pick her up with a rented horse carriage to take them to the Queen's Hall, where the graduation rites would be held.

_Stupid Horse Face!_

Given his past experience in the academy, she never expected Horo Horo to come at all. His attendance was meant to be a surprise for her but their father had to spoil it. He was so busy with his various business engagements that he didn't have the time to meet his son upon his arrival. Lycan had sent her a telegram two days ago asking her to pick Horo Horo up from the Port of Morphia but the academy was firm on its rules until the very end. They did not allow her to leave school premises without a parent or a guardian. Luckily, Lyserg just happened to be outside school. Duke Liam came to fetch his son a week ago so they could visit his cousin, Jeanne. Unlike them, she didn't return to the academy after the Royal Friendship Ball. Lyserg told her that Jeanne was feeling unwell and becoming reclusive lately. Marco was anxious about her condition so he requested for him to come and check on her. Pirika understood how important family was to Lyserg so she respected his decision to take a leave of absence during their final week in school. He had already passed the academic requirements to graduate anyway. She was just a bit disappointed that she won't be spending her last days in school with him. They had gotten pretty close especially when Ren came back from Kaminari a bit late. She had sent Lyserg a telegram in Mont St. Michel partly to ask for a favor to meet her brother at the Port of Morphia, and partly to address her feelings of longing for him. She regretted making that decision now.

Pirika never thought that Lyserg and Horo Horo would hit it off in an instant since they had only seen each other a few times in the most unfortunate circumstances. Her happy-go-lucky brother might have forced her friend to show him around town or Lyserg, being her fervent suitor, might have offered to take Horo Horo out to gain his approval. Either way, she's going to kill them both later. The two boys and Tona were bonding over Morphian ale in one of the famous local pubs last night when they chanced upon Faust and Yoh who happened to be lodging around that area. The five spent the whole night catching up on what they were doing these past few months. Well, that was her brother's excuse for not waking up on time but he had no excuse for not checking the condition of the carriage before he went on a drinking spree with his buddies. As soon as Horo Horo picked her up from school earlier, she had started berating him nonstop. They were screaming at each other by the time their father boarded the carriage from his hotel. He had to slam his fists on the seat to quiet them down and that's when they heard the squeaking sound from a loosened bolt. They stopped to get it examined but the apologetic carriage driver forgot to bring any tools with him. They had no choice but to alight the vehicle and walk across the town square towards the Queen's Hall. They only had more or less 30 minutes before the graduation ceremony starts.

Pirika looked over her shoulder to glare at her family who were trailing behind. Her father was sweating buckets from trying to keep up with her while her brother was dawdling a few meters behind him with a glower. She noticed that Tona was slightly prodding Horo Horo to quicken his pace but the king of Kouri seemed determined to maintain a great distance from her. He was still angry over their fight earlier which she thought he had no right to be. It wasn't his special day that was ruined. She was stomping her way into the center of the town square when she spotted the statue of the beloved Queen Yuki. She had stayed in that place for quite a long time but she didn't get a chance to marvel at the monument until now. She felt a slight pang in her heart while she looked up at the immortalized face of the former queen.

Horo Horo and Lycan threw each other meaningful looks when they finally caught up with Pirika and found her gazing at the statue. It wasn't the ideal moment to tell her the truth though. They were supposed to be rushing to the venue so they could make it to her graduation ceremony. They would have to speak with her about this later.

"My little butterbur... " Lycan called out to his daughter softly. "We should get going.."

"Queen Yuki was my mother, right?" The Kouri princess said out of the blue.

Both father and son opened their mouths in shock which elicited a smile on the princess' face. She was expecting this exact expression from them.

"You knew?!" Horo Horo asked in disbelief.

"If you lived in the academy for almost eight years and school staff kept on saying that the former queen looked like you, of course you would become curious. I would spend my free time in the library reading about the royal family who previously ruled over this land. When she was still a princess, Queen Yuki went missing for some time then returned to her kingdom after five years. Big brother was five when Mother left us, right? I had a gut feeling that Queen Yuki's our mother but I couldn't find any proof. Leaving this place without getting answers would haunt me for life so I decided to seek Lyserg's assistance. He was friends with the record keeper at the Royal Police headquarters. They were maintaining several logbooks of the people who entered and left the port for decades. Lyserg had this idea to check on the passenger list of all the ships that arrived from Kouri from thirteen years ago. A woman named Yukina Usui was in the passenger list. She came here a few days before Queen Yuki succeeded the throne. It had to be her. Your reactions today said so." Pirika grinned at her dumbfounded family.

"My little butterbur..." Lycan fumbled for words. "... I apologize for not telling you any sooner... Your mother requested in her death bed not to tell you until you're old enough. She carried the guilt of choosing her kingdom over her children but up to her last breath, she never did stop thinking about you..."

"I practically grew up without her, Father. There were times that I wondered how things might have been if she were with us but I never considered our family incomplete. You and Horo Horo filled that void for me. I just wanted to find out what happened to her and I did... so in a way, I'm happy." Pirika gave her family a reassuring smile.

Horo Horo scratched the back of his head feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry, too, for keeping it a secret from you... I was a kid when I found out and unfortunately, I didn't have the same grown-up reaction as you. I understand now why Mother made that request to Father. And... I'm sorry for being such a jerk earlier."

"You know how you can make it up to me, Horse Face? Walk faster so we can get to the Queen's Hall on time or better yet, let's race! The winner will get Kororo as a prize!" The Kouri princess stuck out her tongue then started to dash away from them.

"Hey, I did not agree to that!" Her brother chased after her. "As your king, I command you not to do that!"

Lycan groaned as his children began to disappear from his sight. He was glad that Pirika was mature enough to deal with the truth about her mother. It's just that he didn't have the energy to run after them anymore. Tona was in the act of following the young king but then he noticed a horse carriage stopping behind Lycan.

"Your Highness?" The driver wearing a Royal Police uniform addressed the former ruler of Kouri. "The chief sent me out to look for you. His son is worried that your daughter still hasn't shown up at the venue. Please hop in so we can arrive at the Queen's Hall as soon as possible."

"Oh, you're a life saver, young man. Come on, Tona. Let's just pick up the children when we spot them on the streets. Maybe it's a good idea to give them a ten-minute headstart, don't you think? It would be a much quieter ride if they were already exhausted from running."

* * *

**Two hours later...**

"Hey, thank you for sending someone to look for us earlier..." Pirika took the opportunity to speak with Lyserg alone after the ceremony. They were waiting for their friends and family to find them among the crowd of new graduates that congregated outside the Queen's Hall.

"Well, I didn't want you to miss our graduation and... I wanted to see you before you leave..." Lyserg held her hand as he fixed his eyes on her.

The Kouri princess blushed and looked down at their clasped hands. "So what now?" She had been dying to ask him this before she go. She was starting to fill with dread over what could possibly happen after they return to their respective homes. Would they grow apart because of the distance? They weren't exactly Anna and Yoh who were both burdened by their royal duties. Yet she truly empathized with them. She didn't want to be in their position but the distance between her and Lyserg would pose as a big challenge for them. She was praying to the Great Spirit that they won't be forced to let each other go just like what Anna and Yoh did.

Lyserg wasn't able to respond to her question because someone cleared his throat. They turned to the direction of the voice and saw Ren standing hand in hand with his fiancée. Behind them stood the Kouku queen's bodyguard, Ryuu who ogled at everything his gaze fell upon. It was his first time visiting a foreign land so his face was full of awe at all the new sights and sounds surrounding him. It was the blond queen's first time, too but she was better at hiding her emotions than him. There were rare moments when Ryuu caught her roaming her eyes around as if looking for someone.

"Are we interrupting something?" The Kaminari king smirked at the couple.

Pirika immediately pulled her hand from Lyserg's grasp in embarrassment. "We're just saying our goodbyes. That's all. Hello Anna and Ryuu!"

"Congratulations Princess Pirika and Princess Pirika's lady friend!" The former spy greeted them.

"He's a boy, Ryuu, in case you haven't noticed." Anna reprimanded him. "You don't remember Lyserg from before? He came with Ren to the Kasai palace."

"My apologies! I didn't mean to! It was stupid of me!" The queen's bodyguard wanted to sink into the ground. Ryuu was more frightened of the queen's reaction than that of Pirika's friend.

"Well, this isn't the first time." Ren was trying hard not to laugh. "Anyway, if you're looking forward to seeing each other again, then this might be the answer to your prayers." He handed the couple an ornately decorated envelope which bore the combined seals of the Kyouyama and Tao royal families.

"Please give this to Tamao as well..." Anna came forward and handed another one to the Kouri princess. "We would love for her to come." The blond queen might have burnt bridges with Yoh but she intended to continue maintaining friendly relations with the Asakuras and their extended family all for the sake of peace.

Suddenly, Chocolove popped out from nowhere and squeezed himself in between Lyserg and Ren before swinging his arms over their shoulders. "Am I invited to this event or will I be excluded from this adventure again?" He couldn't stop guilt tripping his two friends about how they left him out of their plan to go to Pirika's kingdom. The Kaminari king groaned and gave him an envelope bearing his name. Chocolove squealed with delight and danced around while holding the invitation close to his heart.

"I'm going to Renny's wedding! I'm going to Renny's wedding!"

Anna raised an eyebrow at her fiancé who simply shrugged. If his eccentric friend would do something embarrassing during their wedding, she would definitely summon the royal guards to drag him out.

Chocolove's uncoordinated dancing was interrupted by the arrival of the king of Kouri, his father, his bodyguard and the Royal Police chief. The four had been walking about through the sea of blue togas in search for them.

"Hello friends!" Horo Horo acknowledged his royal counterparts. "This is quite a reunion we have here. We haven't seen each other since the third war. What a coincidence! Last night, we also had a chance encounter with Yo...Ouch!". Pirika nudged Horo Horo in the ribs. She took a quick glance at the Kouku queen who was oblivious to what her brother was saying. Horse Face would be stirring up some strong emotions if he wasn't careful with his words. Good thing Lyserg's father came forward to speak with Anna.

"Your Highness, I'm glad you're here." Duke Liam bowed down at the blond queen. "I was about to send you a telegram but I could just deliver the good news to you in person. As I have mentioned in our initial correspondence, we already have one of the assassins in our custody. He had undergone trial and now we are just waiting for the date of his execution. He kept on insisting that he acted alone despite your written testimony that two people had carried out the murder. Rest assured that we are doing our best to track down his partner. I will update you as soon as we have captured him."

"Thank you for the news, Duke Liam." Anna shook his hand. "I came here for Ren's graduation but you gave me another reason to celebrate."

"Speaking of celebrations, the hotel where I'm staying has this fancy restaurant that serves different cuisines from all the dukedoms in this land. Let's have our lunch there. It will be Kouri's treat, right, Your Highness?" Lycan grinned at his son. The rest of the four kingdoms now knew that Kouri was the richest kingdom among them in spite of its small territory.

Horo Horo nodded. "Sure, why not? As long as we don't have to walk from here to there."

"You can borrow the horse carriage you rode earlier, Your Highness." Duke Liam suggested. "I'm sure George wouldn't mind driving you around."

"Great! Thank you Duke Liam! Let's go then!"

"Wait! I... I have something to say first." Lyserg stopped the group from leaving. He was met with impatient stares from everyone who was waiting for him to talk. He felt a bit embarrassed for holding them up but he mustered enough courage to walk towards the Kouri princess who grew bright red when he took her hand. "I would like to ask permission to court Pirika, Your Highnesses."

Lycan stroked his beard as he thought of his answer. He expected this day would come when his little princess would start entertaining suitors. The boy, Lyserg seemed to be a good lad. He couldn't find any fault aside from being mistaken too often as a girl. Besides, Duke Liam had helped him in several instances despite them competing for Yukina's hand in the past. He liked both father and son so he would give this boy a chance. "I have no issues with that as long as you are a decent man. It's Pirika who has the final say anyway. Are you fine with that, Your Highness?" Lycan waited for his son's response. He wished he wouldn't drag the conversation for too long. He was really famished from all the running he did earlier and he could sense that everybody was already starving just like him.

Horo Horo sucked in air into his mouth then squinted his eyes at his sister's suitor before saying, "Fine, but the initial stages of your courtship must be done in Kouri so pack your bags, Lyserg. You are coming home with us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did not exist in the original version of the story in Fanfiction.Net. I added this chapter because I wanted Pirika to achieve a sense of closure over her mother's disappearance.


	6. Funbari Inn

"So... How are you Tamao?" Princess Pirika asked before sipping her tea. They were sitting on a table overlooking one of the many hot springs that dotted the area.

It was the first time that the Kouri royal had visited her friend in her new abode. Before Prince Yoh had left months ago, he had turned over his dead father's ancestral house to his ex-fiancée and distant relative, Tamao. Although King Mikihisa had bestowed the property over to his son in his last will, the prince saw it befitting that the girl should own and take care of his father's original home on their side of the family.

The large wooden house was situated near the boundary of Kouri and Kasai. There were several natural hot springs next to it and Tamao had the idea of converting it to an inn so she could generate her own income. Since the Kasai palace was struggling with its finances, the girl deemed it best that she should stop living the royal life and depend on no one but herself.

The Asakuras were very kind to her even after King Mikihisa's death. King Hao had released her three most trusted palace maids, Kanna, Marion, and Matilda from his employment so they could help in setting up her business. It was a win-win situation for the both of them. The young king was encouraging people to be entrepreneurial so he could tax businesses more while providing jobs to the unemployed.

Prince Yoh assured her that he would support all of her endeavors before he left. Tamao had already given up trying to make him love her more than he had loved the Kouku queen. It was such a shame that she had let him go only to find out that Anna had also let him go. His absence had helped her move on from the heart break. Right now, there was nothing else she loved the most but this inn.

"I'm exhausted from overseeing the repairs and renovation of Uncle Mikihisa's ancestral house." Tamao replied to her friend. "Everything's ready for our soft opening. I just hope that guests would come pouring in from all over the land. I had spent all my fancy clothes and jewelry on this. This is all that I have left."

"Well, you can ask my brother for a loan if you need one..." the princess suggested. "He was quick to grant a loan to Hao whom he strongly dislikes. It's for the Great Spirit's River Bridge that they are currently building between Kasai and Kouku."

"No, I'm all good... for now... Thanks for being our first guests by the way. I'm sure your brother is enjoying the private hot spring I have reserved for him. I can clearly hear him splashing around. Is he with your lover?"

Princess Pirika blushed. She wasn't used to people calling Lyserg her lover. They were still in the courtship phase after their graduation from the Royal Patch Academy. The group of friends had decided to go back to finish their studies despite the fiasco that was the Friendship Ball. King Ren was lucky that his fiancée had agreed to return there for a few months more. The same thing couldn't be said about Jeanne who had locked herself up in her mansion. Marco wouldn't let someone outside the family come and visit her. Even Lyserg was tight lipped about it. She was so curious but she respected his choice of silence. If they were to get married though, she would impose a no secret rule. Her inquisitive mind hated mysteries more than anything.

Princess Pirika felt her cheeks warming. Why was she thinking so far ahead? She brushed off the idea of marrying Lyserg and responded to her friend, "Yes, along with Tona... Lyserg was ecstatic to come here right after our graduation. Good thing his father had agreed."

"Well, he is a grown man. Hopefully your brother doesn't drown him with all the crazy stunts he must be pulling off in the pool." Tamao scoffed.

"I think Horo Horo likes him although he doesn't show it." Princess Pirika grinned. "Oh, I remember something... " The Kouri princess took out an envelope from her purse. This was probably the reason why she had thought of those things earlier. "Ren handed out the invitations after the graduation ceremony. Anna wanted you to come." She gave Tamao the white envelope with the seals of Kaminari and Kouku.

"They are still doing it, huh?" Tamao squinted at the details in the invitation. "I pity Yoh... But I do understand Anna's decision. Sometimes.. a girl just got to move forward..."

"Just like what you did, Tamao. I'm so proud of you," Princess Pirika squeezed her friend's hand.

"Don't be yet. I still got to make this inn break even at the very least."

"Hi girls!" Lyserg appeared by the door wearing a bathrobe. "Did you miss me?" He smiled and sat down next to the Kouri princess who grabbed an empty cup and poured him some cold tea.

"I'm sorry. Was my brother a handful?" she asked.

"I am not. What are you talking about Pirika?" The Kouri king appeared by the door wearing only a towel around his waist.

"Oh please, indecency is not permitted in the premises." Tamao scolded him.

King Horokeu spread his arms so that Tona could slip him into a bathrobe. He then sat down in the middle of the table together with his bodyguard. "I'm famished. What's for dinner?"

Tamao clapped her hands and the kitchen servants came in with trays of seafood hotpot, steamed lobster and crab, a slab of steak, garden salad, roasted pork, and cakes of different flavors. The Kouri monarch's eyes sparkled with joy.

"Help yourselves."

After they were satisfied with dinner, Princess Pirika and Lyserg excused themselves so they could take a stroll outside.

"Keep an eye on them," the Kouri king instructed Tona who followed the couple a few minutes after they went through the doorway.

"You know... Pirika is old enough to take care of herself." Tamao eyed her guest who was still not yet finished devouring the assorted cakes.

"I know... But that's what big brothers do. Girls are strong independent creatures, I get that.. However, it's nice to have somebody else take care of you." King Horokeu gave her a toothy smile. "I like it here. I would definitely go back a couple of times. This place is so relaxing, the food is awesome and the hostess so beautiful!"

Tamao grinned back at him. She didn't like the idea of such an annoying person popping up to her inn from time to time. Yet she had to endure it for the sake of success. "Your Highness, you have chocolate between your teeth."

* * *

**At the Kouku palace...**

"I've had my measurements taken by the tailor this afternoon. The suit will be done in about a month. The gardener also assured me that all the flowers he planted would bloom in time for our wedding." King Ren dried his wet hair with a towel as he stood by Queen Anna's dressing table. He had just finished bathing in her indoor pool.

The Kaminari king had been dropping by the Kouku palace at sunset to update his fiancée about their wedding preparations. He had been doing this everyday since the queen had given him the go signal to initiate the pre-wedding activities. Well, that's ever since Yoh Asakura left months ago.

After the war, Ren wasn't sure that Anna still wanted their wedding to push through. It was apparent that she and the Kasai prince were in love. He did not want to lose her again but he did not want to force himself on her either. Anna wasn't the type of person to talk about her feelings but he rather hear her say to his face if she wished to break off the engagement. So he gathered enough courage to propose to her after the signing of the new peace treaty. He had long wanted to do this even before the arranged marriage was agreed upon by their fathers. When the blond queen said yes, his happiness was over the moon. He was really expecting that she would give the opposite response. He felt a sense of relief every time he saw her wearing the engagement ring.

The Kouku royal eyed him as she brushed her blond hair in front of the mirror. She could see her fiancé watching her from that view. Normally, a palace maid would do these things for her but after being subject to the life of a servant, she had learned to do menial tasks without requiring any help. She had also managed to change into a night gown by herself while Ren bathed in her pool. She wasn't aware of any recent change in the protocol but the servants would automatically leave her presence as soon as the Kaminari king entered her chamber.

"I, too, have spoken with the royal seamstress. She would be presenting to me her designs before taking my measurements. Then it would probably take months before the dress would be finished. It's always easier for you, men. Your clothing styles are very limited."

King Ren chuckled. He recognized that slight annoyance in her voice with which he was so acquainted.

"I've also sent my royal cook to yours so they could finalize the menu for the wedding banquet. I do hope they would come up with something without slicing each other's fingers off as they are both ill-tempered men. I've already agreed to have the wedding take place in Kaminari palace since you have a bigger ballroom but I'm hoping that the Kouku cuisine would be showcased during the banquet."

"Whatever you want, my love. I'll talk to the royal cook as soon as I come back to Kaminari." King Ren placed his hands over her shoulders and began to massage her. "Don't stress about this too much... You know what... Pirika was raving about this newly opened inn with hot springs near the Kasai-Kouri border. We could spend our honeymoon and relax there for about a week if you like... It's owned by her friend... I forgot her friend's name though... Pirika mentioned it after our graduation ceremony. She was Yoh Asakura's-"

The queen accidentally dropped her brush. "It's Tamao." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Her name is Tamao."

Her fiancé picked it up for her. "I'm sorry for even mentioning his name. I know you're still upset with him leaving..."

"A hot spring sounds good... We should go right after the banquet." She put the hairbrush down, stood up and took the towel from him. She wiped off the drips of water from his neck and nape. "Before you jump into conclusion, I'm doing this so we can already retire to our own beds."

She had assigned to him the guest room next to her chamber so he could spend the night at the Kouku palace whenever he finds himself there after dark. It was more frequent now that he was a full time king. She wasn't ready to share her bed with him just yet.

She gave him his sleep wear and looked away as he put them on. She needed to get used to his presence in her room. She would be spending her lifetime with him anyway. They have agreed to live in both palaces, half the week in Kouku and the other half in Kaminari. This meant that her room would become a marriage den eventually.

"You can turn around now although it's not a big deal for me even if you peeked." Her fiancé smirked at her.

Queen Anna rolled her eyes and pointed at the door.

"Can I at least get a kiss?" King Ren pulled her to him then gently cupped her face. "I have missed you all day..."

She nodded then closed her eyes. She felt him plant several soft kisses on her lips. They were different from his usual ones which were always passionate and intense.

His gentleness reminded her so much of someone... Someone who left her months ago and broke her heart. Someone whose heart she had broken as well. She tried to block the thought of him from her head but all she could see was his dark hair and sheepish smile.


	7. Side Mission

Prince Yoh watched his partner with awe as Faust gulped down his drink without pausing for breath. The two were enjoying their celebratory dinner of barbecued ribs and mashed potatoes at a local pub in the Dukedom of Morphia. Being an acquaintance of the duke's son proved to be a big advantage since the Royal Police allowed them to skim through the registry of foreigners that entered the port months ago. They were able to trace three affluent clans that settled there from Kasai during the war. They had started their regular visits to them in order to persuade them to go back to the kingdom.

The first two clans were adamant to return because of the new king's reputation but the third one was more open for discussion. Earlier that day, they were able to finally convince the head of the Maki clan to come back and do business in Kasai again. So tonight was a time to celebrate their first win.

"Morphian ale is the best in the world they say." Faust wiped the froth from the top of his lips. He took out a parchment and a pen from his pocket then striked out "Maki" from the roster. All those months of wooing them actually paid off. He was proud of Yoh in particular because his negotiation skills had significantly improved since their first meeting with the clan members.

The prince kept brushing off his commendations. "They were the easiest among the list because my father was a close relative of theirs." He pointed out.

"But still, good job! Now I have something to report to your obnoxious twin brother. He had been sending me telegram after telegram asking for any updates. He should have been more hands on with foreign affair matters just like what your old man did. The only telegram I'm excited about is him notifying us that he had sent over coins. Hey, we just had our first victory. Maybe we should ask for more allowance from him. I could have been earning more from selling medicines than from being his errand boy."

"I'm sure Hao has his hands full..." Prince Yoh sliced his last piece of steak. "He is still getting used to being king and Kasai is broke. I think we can try to earn extra coins to augment our allowance. Selling medicines here isn't a bad idea at all. You should try it Faust." The prince kept on eating and did not notice the big shadow that loomed behind him.

The medicine man cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. Prince Yoh nearly fell off from his seat after seeing the bulkiest man he had ever met in his entire life. The uninvited guest was towering over the prince who had rested his hand on the hilt of the Harusame, ready to spring into action when the situation called for it.

"Are you Faust?" The man growled at the blond doctor.

"I certainly am," Faust looked unfazed. "How can I be of service to you, big guy?" He wanted to wrinkle his nose at the foul odor coming from the man's hairy armpits but he tried to control himself from doing so in case the brute finds it offensive and let him have a piece of his mind.

Before Prince Yoh could even pull out his sword, the man snatched something from his pocket and slammed it on their table. The pub went silent while waiting for a brawl to ensue. Everyone turned towards their direction with an anticipatory look of excitement on his face. Faust tried to appear calm but beads of sweat were already starting to form on his forehead. There's no doubt that Amidamaru, bless his poor soul, had trained the prince well but this brute seemed to have the strength to break the Harusame into two like it was a thin piece of stick. He should be the one protecting the prince not the other way around but this man would clearly break his arms and legs if they were to engage in a fight. Thankfully, the bulky man did nothing else. He made a guttural sound before leaving them in peace. The pub seemed disappointed but resumed its noisy chattering afterwards.

The two friends gave out a sigh of relief. "I guess he hated his job..." Prince Yoh remarked.

"He was probably an errand boy, too."

They stared down at a piece of paper with the seal of a six-point star in the shape of a tree.

"Another telegram from your brother." Faust looked disappointed. "All that tension just for this. I thought we were goners for a second there."

Prince Yoh carefully opened it and read out loud.

"Hey, little brother, I know you've been busy running after Kasai's old rich but there's one small favor I need to ask from you. I need you to go to the Dukedom of Mont St. Michel to renew a trade deal with them. Of all the dukedoms in the land, theirs is the only one that has a previous relationship with Kasai. If we convince them to be our partner again, the rest of the dukedoms will be a done deal. I have written Mont St. Michel several times but they have not been replying to my correspondence. I would rather come there myself but the duchess is an ex-fiancée of mine and she might not be in the best mood to see me."

"Ohhh, she hated him alright," Faust muttered under his breath. He disagreed about this arranged marriage before but King Mikihisa was always firm about his decisions.

The royal continued reading. "Perhaps Lady Jeanne would be more open to talk with you. That is if you got pass her butler, Marco. That guy absolutely loathes me even though I've ended the arranged marriage already. Speaking of ex-lovers, I have received an invitation from Anna-"

Prince Yoh immediately closed the letter and took a deep breath.

"Go on, finish it." The medicine man urged him. "You have been acting weird every time the Kouku queen's name is brought up. It must be something important for our king to even mention her in this telegram."

The prince handed his companion the letter. "Can you please continue in silence?"

Faust gave him a thin smile then proceeded reading the last part of the telegram with his eyes. He gasped after doing so.

"Yoh... She's getting married!"

He raised his head to speak with the Kasai royal only to find an empty chair before him. The prince had left his seat to pay the pub owner for their food and drinks. Faust was sure he had clearly heard what he had said. The prince waved at him from the bartender's counter.

The blond man sighed as he lifted himself from his seat. How long will Yoh continue to nurture his heartache? He did not sign up to be a relationship advisor but he did promise Mikihisa to always guide his sons. He approached the counter and sat on the available chair next to his partner.

Faust asked the pub owner for two full mugs of ale, one of which he placed in front of the prince. He didn't finish his drink in one gulp this time.

"When I lost Eliza, I thought I didn't have any reason to live anymore..." He admitted while staring at his mug intently.

"But you and your brother gave me one, no... several ones..." He took a sip of ale before looking at him. "Now I had something to pass the time by until I see my Eliza again in the afterlife."

"I'm really grateful, Faust... My brother as well although he doesn't verbally express it... you know how he is..." The prince assured the blond medicine man.

"Eliza is gone so I know how you feel, Yoh. You thought you've lost Anna, too. You're carrying a royal burden while hurting at the same time. I truly admire you for showing strength and for choosing not to run away from your responsibilities at the expense of your own happiness. I know one thing though. Love spans an eternity. If you can't be with her in this lifetime, maybe in some place, in some other time, you two will be together. Because no matter how hard you resist or how hard the world tried to pull you apart, you two will always gravitate towards each other. Of course, if you wish to take a break from the mission and stop the wedding, I will support you."

"I don't know, Faust... Anna hates me now..." The prince sighed. Despite declaring his love for her the second time, the queen didn't give him the response he was hoping for. He understood why she couldn't wait for him. He knew the burden of being royalty all too well but knowing and accepting were two different things. He probably needed time to get pass the hurt he felt from their last conversation at the Kouku palace.

"She had chosen the Kaminari prince over me and I had chosen Kasai over her. I'm not sure if she even wanted me in the first place..." He always thought he had a chance with her. Maybe he did but he lost it because of the mission. Well, there's no backing out now. This mission had cost him the most important person in his life so there's no way he would allow himself to fail.

He lifted his mug of ale to the blond man's surprise. The Kasai royal was no fan of alcohol.

"There's only one way to find out. Let's end this mission and return to our land as soon as possible." Faust raised his mug and proposed a toast.

"To coming home soon!"


	8. The Duchess' Secret

Prince Yoh rapped the door of a huge white mansion. He and Faust had been patiently waiting outside for someone to acknowledge their presence yet nobody came. It felt odd because he thought he saw someone look out of a window when they were approaching the front lawn of the Duchess of Mont St. Michel's house. He was warned that the lady of the mansion was elusive but he never thought she would completely ignore visitors.

"We are emissaries from Kasai kingdom. We wish to speak with the Duchess," Faust called out. His patience was running low. The medicine man pounded on the wood until his knuckles were red and sore.

"Maybe nobody's home, Faust. Should we try tomorrow?" The prince stepped back from the entrance.

They were prepared to leave when the door creaked open and a blond man wearing glasses appeared. He gave them an irate look but when his gaze fell upon Prince Yoh, his facial expression quickly transitioned from annoyance to rage.

"You!" The man grabbed the prince by the collar of his shirt. "- have the nerve to come back here?!"

"Get your hands off him!" Faust grabbed the man's arm to pry his grip off the Kasai royal. "It's the first time we have seen you, you lunatic!"

The man knocked the blond doctor unconscious with a punch in the face. His furious eyes were the last thing Faust saw before waking up in a dark dungeon.

"How's your cheek?" Prince Yoh inquired when he noticed his companion propping himself up from the cold floor.

"I must have broken a tooth or two..." Faust expelled a bloody spit. He wandered his eyes around the dank prison. "I think I'm having a deja vu.. What I can remember though is that you're the only one who's inside a cell."

The prince would have laughed if their situation was different.

"Whatever did we do to that crazy strong guy?" The medicine man scratched his head. "I guess when your brother said that he is hated here, he meant he would be killed here if he would show his face. He should have at least given us a heads up. I'll strangle that bastard the next time I see him."

"Let me do the honor of strangling him to death," the man who had thrown them into the dungeon appeared out of the shadows. He unlocked their prison cell and ushered them out. "The Duchess will meet you at the dining table. I'm sorry for the mild altercation we had earlier."

"Mild? My cheek is swollen like a chipmunk's!" Faust grumbled.

* * *

**At the dining hall of the Mont St. Michel mansion...**

Prince Yoh's mouth watered when he saw the food brought out from the kitchen by a couple of servants. It was already lunch time and they were famished. They had spent their breakfast budget on ale last night so they had not yet eaten anything since morning. The Kasai prince smiled at his blond companion from across the table. Faust was trying to stop himself from pinching the roast chicken in front of him. They were still waiting for their hostess.

 _Maybe she wouldn't even notice a missing skin..._ The medicine man thought.

"Please help yourselves," A gentle voice said as a very comely girl walked into the dining hall. The man who had greeted them with a punch by the door followed the beautiful duchess dutifully.

"I am sorry for the unpleasant welcome from my butler, Marco." She gave her right hand man a stern look. "I am Jeanne, Duchess of Mont St. Michel."

The two guests stood up and bowed as their hostess positioned herself by the head of the table. "I am aware of your king's request. I had just been informed quite recently that he had sent out a number of telegrams to me. Someone had misplaced them so I wasn't able to give a prompt reply." She peered at her butler who was pouring her some peppermint tea.

"I thought I would return him the favor after he ran off and left you while you're grieving for your father." Marco avoided his mistress' gaze and glared at Prince Yoh instead.

"I apologize for the pain my brother had caused." The Kasai prince bowed his head.

"Forgiveness had been granted a long time ago..." Jeanne assured him.

"And I wonder if he had the slightest idea what he had left behind?" Marco muttered under his breath.

"Hao went home with his father," the Duchess reminded her butler. "A good decision if you would ask me after knowing he was able to spend his last days with him."

The butler's eyes softened. "I am deeply saddened by King Mikihisa's passing. He was a good man and a dear friend to the late duke." The banter between the two stopped and Marco remained stoic during the entire meal.

The Duchess had inquired about the state of affairs in their kingdom and the reason for their travels which the prince answered in all honesty. Yoh would then ask the girl about her dukedom in between bites. Faust was feeling positive that they would get along well and that this side mission would be over soon.

"Thank you for your generosity, My Lady," Faust and Prince Yoh bowed down at the Duchess after lunch was over. Jeanne stood up to leave the table and it was then that they noticed a bump in her belly. It was more obvious when she was facing them sideways.

"The head servant will show you to your rooms. Please freshen yourselves up. May I invite the Kasai prince for an afternoon tea alone once he's ready? I know you have some important matters to discuss."

"I'm more than delighted, My Lady," Prince Yoh smiled at her.

Faust gave the Kasai royal a knowing look while they were being led by a plump woman down the hallway towards the guest rooms.

"Do you think it's your brother's?" the blond medicine man whispered. "He would absolutely be pissed off because he hates kids but on the other hand, Kasai would have an heir."

"I don't know... Hao doesn't seem to be interested in Jeanne at all. He rarely mentioned anything about her." Prince Yoh said in a hushed tone.

"Indeed... Your brother is picky about everything. I think the only girl who had caught his fancy is the queen of Kouku. Are you aware that he had been pestering Ryuu about reports on Anna's daily activities right before we left? He had also been sending her roses from the royal garden since the new peace treaty signing ceremony. Come to think of it... you're twins so it makes perfect sense that you would like the same type of woman... Maybe he sent you away so he can make his move on her... But the Kaminari king was faster."

The Kasai prince dropped his jaw and looked incredulously at his blond companion.

"I'm kidding of course. You said last night that you want to get over Anna but clearly you couldn't. Maybe it was the alcohol talking or maybe you're just in a state of denial." Faust messed up the prince's dark hair. "Anyway, I trust that you will get the duchess' good side with your charms. Let me know if it is indeed Hao's baby. I can't wait to send him a telegram! He will get the biggest shock of his life! Too bad we won't be there to witness it." The medicine man snickered as he entered the room that was assigned to him.

* * *

**At the Duchess' tea room...**

"Yoh Asakura, please make yourself comfortable," Jeanne greeted the Kasai prince as he took the seat across her.

"Thank you for taking time to consider our kingdom's offer, My Lady."

"Hao maybe the most obnoxious person I've ever known but he made a smart decision by sending his brother. I can see that the resemblance is uncanny but you've got a kinder face..."

The Kasai prince blushed while the Duchess gazed at him with her soulful eyes. Jeanne Mont St. Michel was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in that part of the land.

"My brother isn't the best of character but I assure you he would always prioritize what's best for the kingdom." Prince Yoh's eyes fell upon Jeanne's belly which was more pronounced now that they were near each other. "By continuing our trade relationship, he would ensure the success of your partnership with Kasai as long as he seats on the throne. The king would-"

"Is there something you wish to ask, Your Highness?" Jeanne interrupted him before sipping her tea.

"I-" The prince hesitated. "I am sorry for my boldness and my lack of sensitivity to ask you this... But it's important for the continuity of the Asakura lineage... Is that my brother's child?"

"No." The Duchess told him outright.

Prince Yoh felt guilty for being nosy. "Apologies, My Lady... I should not have inquired about your private life..."

"No offense taken... I knew that it would cross your mind. Hao and I were never lovers nor friends. He was just a guest of this house whom my father had chosen to be my future husband. As we both know, he eventually decided to take a different path."

"I'm happy that you're freed from an unwanted engagement. You can be with the father of your child." The prince grinned at her although deep down he was a bit saddened. A royal baby could bring back joy to the dismal Kasai palace.

"Unfortunately, the father of my child is getting married to someone else..."

"Ohh... Did you tell him that you're carrying his offspring?"

"I couldn't... He wasn't in the right state when we did it.. I... took advantage of the situation..." The pregnant girl grew red with embarrassment.

"Still... He deserves to know... It's his child after all.."

Jeanne responded with downcast eyes. "I just couldn't take away his happiness... He had searched long and hard for his fiancée who people thought was dead. Now that he had found her, I refuse to be the reason for breaking them up. His heart was already shattered over his father's involvement in the murder of his fiancée's family... I don't want to be the cause of another heartache..."

The Kasai prince grew silent as realization dawned on him. "Is Ren Tao the father of your child?"

"Yes..." Jeanne covered her mouth as hot tears fell down her cheeks. She had been keeping this secret for months even to people who were close to her. Lyserg tried to convince her to tell him the truth but she didn't want him to choose between family and friendship. She never had the courage to tell Marco about the paternity of her unborn child because she was too afraid of what he might do. Yet all of her fears dissipated when Yoh Asakura spoke with her. He had such a calm and friendly demeanor that one would find it easy to share her deepest darkest secret with him without being judged. She felt relieved now that someone else knew of her predicament.

The Kasai royal reached out to hold her other hand in order to comfort her. He sat in silence until the Duchess had cried her eyes out.

"Lyserg told me that Ren thought Anna was going to break the engagement off... because she was in love with you..."

Prince Yoh slowly sunk back in his seat as he tried to absorb her words. He was stunned by this revelation. The Kouku queen never said anything of that sort to him especially when they last saw each other. She did not say those three words back after his confession.

"If you were Ren, what will you do? Will you give up the girl that you love for some responsibility that you never wanted?" Jeanne asked between sniffles.

The Kasai royal sighed. "Unfortunately, I did... My parents, my friends, Anna... They all taught me to man up and accept my responsibilities but in the end, it was me who made that choice. I'm sure the king of Kaminari will gladly face the consequences of his actions."

Prince Yoh handed her a white napkin. "Jeanne... Maybe I'm not the right person to give you advice. My decision was based on me being bound by my duty to the kingdom but this... This is different... Please give your child a chance to know his father. Ren is a good man. Anna wouldn't be friends with him if he weren't..."

The Duchess continued to shed more tears. This prompted the prince to hand over his napkin in case hers wasn't enough. Guilt started to fill him. He was supposed to be renewing a trade deal not making a pregnant woman cry.

"My Lady... I have no right to tell you what you should do and I will respect whatever your decision will be. I do have one request though... Smile, Jeanne... You will have your little bundle of joy soon..." Prince Yoh squeezed her hand.

"I will try..." The girl wiped her eyes dry. "Please don't tell Marco. He doesn't know who the real father of my child is... I have told him countless of times that it isn't your brother's but he doesn't want to believe."

"I won't tell. Faust would be so disappointed though. I think he's drafting his message to my brother at this very moment." The prince scratched his cheek. Clearly, the duchess wasn't in love with the Kasai king. How could they even think that he would have a child with her?

"I can't imagine Hao cuddling a baby..." Jeanne let out a slight chuckle as she wiped her nose with a napkin. The images of Hao on her mind were often about an angry and rebellious young man who wanted to be left alone. Maybe he got past that when he became king but it was still hard to picture him making funny faces to an infant.

"Yeah... He would throw him out of the window straight away..."

* * *

"Achooo! Achooo!"

King Hao scratched his nose. He should be calling it a day soon. He had to summon the servants in a few minutes since the mini library might need a bit of dusting. He finished off the letter he was writing to send along with the freshly picked red roses to Kouku. He read it once more while waiting for the ink to dry up.

"My lovely Anna,

I do apologize for Yoh's incompetence. Clearly he is still an amateur when it comes to negotiation. He should have convinced you to wait for him. Please don't make the biggest mistake of your life by marrying the Tao king. That man had such a bad taste in hairstyle. As before, I'm sending you these roses to remind you of my weak-hearted brother. I know you've got a strong will but mine is stronger. I will do for now what he can't do for you. Do remember that our clan has a track record of producing better-looking offsprings. Just look at yours truly.

Your future brother-in-law,

Hao Asakura."


	9. Manta's Bridge

Manta Oyamada had been getting little sleep for the past nine months. He had been experiencing a tremendous amount of stress by having four bosses. The rulers of the four kingdoms had divided views over the speed of construction of the Great Spirit's River Bridge.

King Ren Tao wanted them to hasten things up. The project had to be finished before his wedding with the Kouku queen so that their guests from the other side of the land need not cross the river on a raft while wearing their formal attire. Manta thought that would be hilarious to watch though.

King Horokeu Usui was also keen on having the construction works finish soon. He demanded to receive a daily update on the project that he had indirectly funded through a loan to Kasai. He was looking forward to transport goods to Kouku and Kaminari as both butterbur and diamonds had become coveted raw materials in these two new ally kingdoms. It would be a quick return on his investment as he would often put it in his telegram.

On the other hand, Queen Anna Kyouyama who was residing nearby had been visiting him and his men on site to check on the construction of the bridge at least once a week. She had been constantly reminding him to take their time to ensure the quality of their work. It had to last for centuries after all. His workers would cower under her disapproving stare when she found something she did not like. The only thing he was happy about her unannounced visits was that they were opportunities to chat with his old time buddy, Ryuu.

King Hao Asakura had the same sentiment as the Kouku queen not because he was after a sturdy structure that would last for a century but because he wanted to annoy the other two kings. Thankfully, the monarch never showed his face on site for the entire duration of the construction. Manta didn't have a friendly relationship with him after his resignation as spy so it would be awkward for them to catch up on things. What was annoying though was that everyday, the Kasai ruler would send a bouquet of roses for him to forward to the Kouku guards who were stationed by the river to ensure their safety. The little man hated the idea of his king making a move on his twin brother's ex-lover (Were they even lovers?). Not to mention that Queen Anna would be married to King Ren soon.

Manta cleared his head of those stressful memories and let out a smile. His most awaited day had come. Today, high-profile people had gathered around the Great Spirit's River to witness the opening of his first big project since he took the helm of his family business. Picnic tables had been set up on both sides of the river so guests could relax and enjoy the greenery. He watched the opening ceremony from Kouku's side with the members of the Oyamada clan. His father wore the widest toothiest smile of them all. Aside from the fact that his son, who was still an amateur to the business had accomplished something big in less than a year, he never thought that he would see the four kingdoms united in his lifetime.

As a symbolic gesture to announce the opening of the stone bridge, the four monarchs of the land had crossed in pairs, stopped and acknowledged each other in the middle of the bridge.

"Greetings friends!" King Horokeu saluted the other three.

"Hello, horse face!" King Ren smirked at him while Queen Anna responded with a nod.

King Hao ignored the other two male rulers and kissed the blonde's hand to her fiancé's dismay. King Ren pulled Queen Anna away from the Kasai king who still managed to get the queen's attention by pointing at the Kaminari monarch's hair and shaking his head in disagreement over her choice.

The two pairs continued walking towards the opposite side and stepped into the territory they once considered as enemy. Their friends, family members, and visitors followed them to their respective tables.

"Hey..." Lyserg approached his friend before crossing over to the Usuis' table. "Can I speak with you for a minute?"

"Of course." King Ren said to him. "I will get back to you, my love." He called after his fiancée who was making her way towards their designated table.

* * *

**At Kouku's side of the river...**

King Hao approached Ryuu who was engaged in an animated chatter with Manta. The former partners did not notice the Kasai king at first so he almost gave them a heart attack when he cleared his throat and stared at them with eyes that could kill.

"I do hope that Anna was able to receive my gifts? Otherwise, I would be sending you off in a mission to remove the barnacles from the Homura." He grinned at the former spies. He couldn't technically order Manta around because he's not his employee anymore but it was amusing for him to see those little legs shake in fear.

"The queen loved them, Your Highness!" Ryuu squeaked.

That was a half lie. Queen Anna burned each letter from the Kasai ruler after reading it but she found it wasteful to throw the flowers so she had instructed Ryuu to deliver the roses over to the Kouku palace gardener for replanting.

"Oh there she is! Silly me! Of course I have to follow her wherever she goes! Talk to you later, Manta!" Ryuu scrambled out of the Kasai monarch's sight and followed the queen when she strolled beyond the picnic area.

* * *

**At Kasai's side of the river...**

"So what do you want to talk about?" The Kaminari king asked his friend.

Lyserg hesitated for a few seconds before whispering, "It's about Jeanne..."

Ren spotted his fiancée walking towards the direction of the woods with her body guard. He was keen to follow her to check if there was something bothering her now that she had stepped foot on Kasai again. "I hope she's doing well. I have sent her a wedding invite but she has not yet replied." He responded to the future duke.

"She can't come..."

"That's unfortunate..."

Lyserg took a deep breath. What he was about to ask next was a bit embarrassing for him but he just need to know the truth. "Hey, I don't want to be intrusive of your private life but my cousin isn't saying anything..."

Ren gave him a curious look. "About what? What was she supposed to say?"

"Ammm... Did something happen between the two of you? On the night of the Royal Friendship Ball... when you went back to the academy.. did you...?" His friend's face grew red.

Vague flashes of those intimate moments popped up inside the young Kaminari king's head. Deep down inside he knew that it wasn't any lucid dream that he had. Lyserg asking him about it further confirmed that it did happen. Yet, he didn't want to accept it as real especially now that he's tying the knot with Anna. He tried to shake away the thought and furrowed his brows at his friend. "I'm getting married soon, Lyserg. I would appreciate if you do not remind me of how you drugged me that night."

The future Duke of Morphia was filled with guilt. "I would apologize a thousand times if you want me to..."

"Don't be absurd. I have accepted your sorry the morning after the ball. Go to Pirika now. She's been giving me death glares from afar for holding you up here." King Ren caught the Kouri princess staring intently at them from the other side of the river.

* * *

**In the Kasai woods near the Great Spirit's River...**

"Your Grace, Please wait for me..." The bodyguard called after his lady as she went through a grove. "Where are you going, Your Grace?"

"Go back... I'll be fine..."Queen Anna told him off.

"I can't. My king and your fiancé would kill me if I let you go alone..." Ryuu panted after catching up with her. As soon as his breathing had normalized, he recognized where his mistress had stopped to rest.

"Hey... It's this place..." He whispered as they stood in front of a burnt hut. Ryuu recalled their gruesome finding when he and Manta dropped by Faust's home after the Kouku and Kaminari troops had marched on to Kasai.

"Show me where Eliza is buried..." The Kouku queen ordered her bodyguard.

"This way, My Lady..." Ryuu led her to the backyard and stopped at a mound. Red and white roses in full bloom outlined the grave.

"Are those...?" Anna began to speak.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace! I have been taking a few buds from King Hao's gifts. Please do not punish me!" Her bodyguard pleaded.

"No, it's brilliant." The Kouku queen patted his back. Ryuu almost shed tears of joy because of the compliment.

"Have you found out from the Kouku generals where they buried Amidamaru's body before the war?"

"I did. They asked the foot soldiers to put him in the cemetery for people with no relatives. He was buried next to the blacksmith's grave. Mosuke was his name. He was Amidamaru's close friend."

"Good. Dig the bones out. Both of them."

Ryuu dropped his jaw. "But My Lady... Their bodies might still be in the process of decay..."

The blond queen raised an eyebrow at him. "My fearless bodyguard is afraid of the dead? I wonder if Hao can find me a more strong-hearted replacement..."

"I was just kidding, Your Grace!" The former spy forced out a laugh. "Consider it done but I will need a written permission from Your Highness in case someone would inquire why I'm desecrating the dead's resting place. Whatever will you do to them?"

"I will give them a proper burial ground. Get me your annoying king after this. I need to talk with him." The blond queen turned around to go back to the sounds of merriment. She found the person she needed, leaning on a tree near the picnic area.

"Ahhh there you are.." King Hao grinned at her. "Your clingy fiancé had finally freed you from his grip."

"Are you stalking me?" Queen Anna asked him irritably.

"Just had to ensure that your bodyguard is doing his job." The Kasai monarch eyed Ryuu who took cover behind the queen to avoid his gaze.

"No need to micro manage. He's doing his job better than I expected... Since you're already in my presence, I might as well tell you my proposal. I want to buy this small piece of land in the woods where Faust and Eliza used to live."

"Conquering Kasai by purchasing our land one area at a time. I like that strategy, Anna."

"You're unbelievable, Hao... but you're also broke."

"That's true." The Kasai monarch chuckled. "Let's make our first kingdom-to-kingdom transaction then. Give me the partial payment in gold coins and I'll prepare the transfer of ownership of that piece of land to the Kouku monarchy. You can send full payment once the paper work is finished. There's one condition though..."

"You and your schemes." The blond royalty clicked her tongue.

"Oh, my queen... I'm deeply hurt that you always think that I have a hidden agenda." Yet the Asakura king did not appear offended. "This is all I ask of you: Give my brother a chance."

Queen Anna stared back at him speechless. In the first place, his mission for Yoh was what convinced them to end whatever they had even before it started. Now he was his brother's wingman and Yoh probably did not ask him to be one.

"A chance for what?" The awkward silence was broken by the Kaminari king when he appeared from the bushes behind them.

"To talk at least." His Kasai counterpart ignored his presence but answered his question nonetheless.

"Well, he isn't here, Hao. Only you know where he is. The chance will just be wasted." Queen Anna took her fiancé's hand. "Have your men deliver the deed of sale to my palace then I'll release the downpayment to you. We'll see you at the wedding tomorrow..."

"I invited him in your behalf, you know." King Hao called out to her after the trio disappeared into the trees.

"Yoh just needed to get his ass down here."


	10. The Butler

**Two weeks ago...**

"We've become regular visitors here, Your Highness. We might as well bring in our luggage and start rearranging the guest rooms with our stuff." Faust told the Kasai prince as they waited for someone to let them into the Mont St. Michel mansion. "It seems like the Duchess had taken a liking to seeing your face from time to time. I wonder how much long it would take for her to renew the trade deal with Kasai."

"I'm working on it, Faust. Jeanne is still reading the terms." Prince Yoh assured him before a pair of glasses peered at them from a slightly opened door.

"Ahhh, good to see you, buddy!" The blond medicine man patted the butler's shoulder as he pulled the door wide open for them.

Marco replied with a grunt. He hated welcoming these guys in the morning. He wished that they would close the trade negotiations already so that his mistress would stop inviting them over. He hated seeing the Kasai prince's face which reminded him so much of that ingrate who lived with them for 7 years.

The butler led them into the duchess' tea room where she would usually chat with Prince Yoh alone. This time, Faust was asked to come in with his partner. The two was greeted by a group of aristocrats waiting for them inside. They were the Tamamura and Sugimoto clans of Kasai. The first two families they had tried to woo.

"Hello, Your Highness," the eldest woman from the Tamamura clan acknowledged him. "We thought you have given up that's why you stopped visiting."

"I'm sorry, My Lady..." The prince bowed down. "We're juggling missions for the king so there's a slight delay. We still hope that you would go back to Kasai to start anew."

Their small talk ended abruptly when the beautiful duchess entered the room with her butler.

"Thank you all for coming!" Jeanne settled herself on a chair. "Please make yourself comfortable." She scanned the room with her eyes to check if everyone she expected to come was there. "Ahhh, you looked confused, Faust."

"Apologies, My Lady, I never expected to be included in the discussion much less meet the Tamamuras and Sugimotos here. Not that I don't want to see them. I'm just clueless about what's going on."

The Duchess smiled and took a bunch of papers that Marco handed to her. She skimmed through them before beckoning the prince to approach and get them from her. "Congratulations Yoh and Faust! I have signed the trade agreement with Kasai."

The duo gave each other a triumphant look. Finally! Another mission accomplished!

"Hao would be delighted, Jeanne. Thank you!"

"You're most welcome but I did not do it for your brother, Yoh. I did it for your people. You told me that the kingdom had suffered economic losses due to the war. The dukedom of Mont St. Michel has always been an ally of Kasai. But regardless of whatever relationship we have, helping people who fell victim to the atrocities of war is the most human thing to do. My heart goes out to those unfortunate people who had no financial capacity to leave their war-torn land so they had to survive with whatever was left of their homes and livelihood. I couldn't imagine how my dead father would react if I refused to give assistance to those people in need. I bet he would be utterly disappointed." The Duchess stared at the clan heads as she said the last statement. They looked at one another with unease.

"May I be allowed to speak, My Lady, Your Highness?" The head of the Sugimoto clan asked. He was a clean shaven old man in his 60's wearing an impeccable suit.

"Please do so..."

"We were good friends with Duke Francois and King Mikihisa that's why we accepted your invitation to come here. I must admit that it would take a long time to trust their children because of their youth and lack of experience in leading their respective turfs. But the sad truth is that our dear friends are no longer with us and there's nothing else we can do but to put our faith in the new generation of leaders. We would want our descendants to be proud of us, their ancestors who had actively participated in the rebuilding of the kingdom we had always considered as our home. That is why the Sugimoto clan have decided to come back to Kasai."

"The Tamamuras will renew our allegiance to Kasai as well. There is no apt time but now to give back to the people who have worked for our family for generations. It would be wrong to abandon them again..." The clan matriarch declared.

"I deeply appreciate it, My Lady, My Lord... Kasai will be able to bounce back because of your unwavering support." Prince Yoh shook the hand of each clan head. He went back to Faust and did a fist bump with him. Two family names would be crossed out of their list. The king would be extremely happy with this development.

"Ladies, gentlemen, may I invite you all to the dining hall for a celebratory lunch?" Marco asked the group.

* * *

Prince Yoh found himself in the tea room again after the meal. This time he was alone with the Duchess since the Tamamuras and Sugimotos have left to prepare for their departure to Kasai.

"How did you do it, Jeanne?" the prince asked with great curiosity.

"Well, they were friends with our fathers. It was Marco's idea to invite them over. He said they might finally be convinced if they see an ally closing a deal with your kingdom. Perhaps your previous visits to them got them thinking about it for months." Jean's grin was suddenly replaced with a grimace. She immediately placed her hand over her belly.

"Are you alright?" Prince Yoh looked at her with concern.

The Duchess took a deep breath before letting out a weak smile. "I am now... Perhaps I'm just tired so I'll make this quick." She took out a small box and placed it on the tea table.

Prince Yoh opened it to reveal a diamond ring.

"King Mikihisa gave it to my father when my marriage to your brother was arranged. I wanted to return it when Hao decided to go back to Kasai but your father insisted that I keep the ring as a gift. It's yours now, Yoh."

The prince squeezed the duchess' hand. "I am really grateful for everything... But I think my father is right about you keeping it after everything your family had done for my brother." He gently pushed the box towards her.

"Please accept it. A very pregnant woman will be displeased if you don't..." The Duchess pushed it back.

"Whatever will make you happy then..."

Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"You may come in..." The Duchess called out.

It was Faust looking a bit embarrassed. "Forgive my intrusion but we need to go, Your Highness. The butler is insisting for the Duchess to take a rest due to her condition."

Prince Yoh nodded and gave the girl one last smile. He took her hand and kissed it. "I'm deeply grateful for your support and hospitality. Have a safe delivery, Jeanne."

"Thank you... Until we meet again, Yoh Asakura..."

* * *

"So... I've sent the report to your brother about the return of the Tamamuras and Sugimotos to Kasai." Faust told the prince while they were walking away from the mansion.

"Hao would be grinning from ear to ear with this good news. Furthermore, I had been chatting with Lord Sugimoto when we were having our lunch earlier. He said he had exchanged information with the other clan heads before they left Kasai in case they needed help from someone they know. The others had traveled far up north for fear that the war might spread to nearby lands. He jotted down the names of the cities in our checklist for reference. We can leave for the closest city tomorrow if you want. Remember this though, we would be traveling to lands much farther away from the kingdom... We could also go back to Kasai for a quick vacation. I'm sure your brother would allow it after our recent success. It's all up to you."

"I have a different place in mind..." Prince Yoh smiled at him sheepishly.

"Oh? Getting more adventurous are we?" The medicine man raised an eyebrow at him. The Kasai royal was determined to complete the mission as soon as possible so it was a bit odd that he would not take on the next challenge right away.

The prince ignored his companion's curious gaze. He thought of the small box in his pocket and the opportunity that it presented. He might be causing trouble again but he knew he would regret it for the rest of his life if he did not at least try.

"Would you know what time will the next ship to Kaminari leave?"

* * *

Marco propped up the duchess' head with another pillow and tucked her under the sheets. He had been doing this every night ever since Jeanne was a little girl. He was the longest-serving employee of the Mont St. Michel household. He came to the mansion as a lonely teenage orphan who was employed by the Duke when he had grown too old to be adopted. He considered him and his daughter to be his only family. That's why he had devoted his entire life to be of service to them.

"Are you feeling better now?" He asked the young duchess.

Jeanne smiled weakly. "I guess..."

"Don't worry, the doctor said you'll be giving birth anytime soon. Then you can take your medications again."

"That's the least of my worries, Marco. I'm hoping the baby will turn out normal. I was careless the first few months."

"My Lady, don't be so hard on yourself... You did not know that you were pregnant back then. The doctor assured us the medication won't affect the fetus but you chose to stop taking them anyway..." The butler didn't approve of the girl's decision at first but she was too strong-willed like her father. Although he was hell-bent on finding out her unborn child's paternity, he genuinely cared for the next heir of Mont St. Michel so he had reluctantly agreed.

"I'm just taking extra precaution. Father used to be treated with those but it didn't do him any good. So I don't believe that they could cure me at all."

Marco sat down on the bed and held her hand. "All the more reason for you to tell me who your child's father is..."

Jeanne avoided his gaze. She was grateful to have someone like Marco but she was intending to take this secret with her to the grave.

The butler sighed when he was met with silence. "My Lady, how I wish that I could take away this disease from you. If something happens to you, your child will be left without any parent to guide him..."

Marco's words drowned out as Jeanne felt contractions in her belly. They had become more frequent today. She was trying her best to act normal while the visitors were around. At that moment, she couldn't take it any longer.

"Are you alright, My Lady?" The butler asked when he had heard her whimpering.

The duchess winced in pain as she sank down into bed. "It's coming..."

* * *

Marco unlocked the drawer in his bedroom and took out two folded sheets of paper. The first one was a letter that came a month ago. He had to read it even though he hated the sender. The second one was a telegram that came that evening. He had stashed it in his personal drawer earlier as he was meant to open it before going to bed.

He was worried sick the entire time Jeanne was on labor. He had prayed vigorously for the girl to have enough strength to go through and survive the process. Thankfully, she did. The Duchess had just given birth to a healthy baby boy minutes ago. Marco was only able to slip into his room after ensuring that the mother and child were resting well.

The letter he was holding on his hand contained the solution to all his problems right now. He read through the contents of the telegram and when he had digested what it said, he slowly sat down on the floor and covered his mouth in shock. He then remembered an ornately designed invitation that the young master Diethel had sent to his cousin months ago. He had to act fast or it would be too late for the duchess and her newborn child. He pulled out his suitcase and started packing his things afterwards.


	11. The Royal Wedding

Anna stared at the mirror as the palace maids fixed the train of her wedding gown. She wore her blond hair in a bun with a few strands framing her face. A tiara with the biggest blue diamond she had ever seen adorned her head. She thought it was totally unnecessary for her to have something so frivolous after the third war but it was a gift from the Kouri king so she had to wear it out of respect. The last time she was staring at herself in the mirror this long was before her engagement ball with Ren. Now, she was going to marry him.

"Your Grace, I think it would be better if you wear something around your neck." A palace maid suggested as she handed her several jewelry boxes.

The blond queen opened each box and handed back the ones that she did not like. She did not care for jewelry as much as before so she was having a hard time choosing. Finally, she came to the last box which contained two necklaces: one with a single-rose pendant and another that looks similar but has a three-rose pendant. She almost laughed. Even for something as simple as a piece of jewelry, she just had to choose between these two. She snapped the box shut and gave it back to the palace maid.

"Thank you but I think I am good. You have dressed me up rather elegantly." She gave the servant a smile so she won't feel rejected.

The palace maids were scurrying around the room putting things back to their original places when they all heard someone knocking at the door. "Your Highness, the king of Kasai wanted to speak with you."

Anna clicked her tongue and tried to keep her cool. It was Ren's idea to provide guest rooms for other royal bloods in the Kaminari palace in case they arrive early for the wedding. Now she's being pestered by her least favorite monarch of them all.

"Tell him, I'm busy and I'll just talk to him during the wedding feast."

The palace servant nodded and opened the door again. The queen could hear her apologizing to Hao who did not insist and just went away. It was rather uncharacteristic of him to not push and have his way but maybe he had another plan brewing. Perhaps she would ask Ryuu to observe his king for the rest of the day.

* * *

Ren was fixing his hair in front of a mirror in his chamber. He had sent the palace servants away as soon as he had suited up. He needed that time alone to think. Lyserg asked him something about Jeanne two weeks ago and it had been bothering him ever since. His friend did not elaborate probably out of guilt but he had this sickening feeling that he knew what it was. He had tried to block out the thoughts in his head but they were haunting him especially when he was with Anna. He had not told her about what he thought could have happened during the night of the Royal Friendship Ball while she had told him everything about Yoh Asakura minus the part where she fell in love with him. His fiancée never admitted her true feelings for the Kasai prince but he knew anyway. Still, they were both keeping secrets from each other. It's definitely not a good way to start a marriage.

His musing was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Your Highness, Her Majesty, the queen of Kouku is here." The palace guard stationed by his room announced.

"Let her in, please..."

The door was slowly opened and his gorgeous soon-to-be wife made a glamorous entrance in her wedding gown. Ren ogled at her for a minute.

"The ceremony will start soon. What's keeping you here?" The Kouku royal placed her hands on her hips. "I am the one wearing this heavy dress so I needed more preparation time than you. Wait... are you having second thoughts?" Anna teased him.

"Of course not. Shall we?" The Tao monarch offered his arm which she instantly took.

They walked towards the Kaminari throne room where the ceremony will be held. During the wedding rites, Anna would be crowned as queen of Kaminari and Ren as king of Kouku. As decreed, they would rule their respective kingdoms side by side.

The wooden doors of the throne room were closed behind them as soon as the couple entered. Court musicians began to play the wedding march. They walked slowly towards the throne where the former king of Kouri, Lycan Usui stood. He would be the officiator of today's ceremony. As per tradition, this should have been one of their fathers but Hideki Kyouyama had been dead for more than a year while Yuan Tao had been exiled from Kaminari.

Anna and Ren spotted their friends and family seated on both sides of the room. The Usui siblings, Tona, Lyserg, Chocolove and Tamao were beaming at them from the right. The Kouku queen was especially surprised to see Tamao there. She had not expected that the girl would accept the invitation. It was the first time that Yoh's ex-fiancee smiled at her, too.

Anna saw Queen Keiko Asakura, her parents, Manta and Ryuu on the left. They returned her smile when their eyes met. Three rows from behind them sat Hao who appeared to be sleeping even though the weddings rites had not yet started! The blond girl clicked her tongue. There's no way he's going to ruin her mood.

Ren's mother, the former queen Ran Tao sat in front of the aisle with her daughter, Jun. They were wiping what she believed were happy tears from their eyes. The rest of the guests were composed of military generals and heads of affluent clans all over the four kingdoms.

"Your Majesties, ladies, and gentlemen, may I present to you, Queen Anna Kyouyama of Kouku, and King Ren Tao of Kaminari." Lycan Usui began the ceremony as soon as the couple have reached the throne. "We are here today to witness their union in front of the Great Spirit. Before I start the rites, anyone who is against this marriage must speak now or forever hold your peace."

Lycan Usui scanned the room with his eyes. The wedding guests remained silent and seated. "Since everyone's pleased with this union, I will continue-".

"Wait!" Hao finally woke up from his nap. He looked shocked to see the throne room already filled and the wedding rites about to start.

The blond bride rolled her eyes. She knew it! He would make a scene during the ceremony itself. Yet everyone's attention was diverted from the Kasai king to the angry noises coming from behind the throne room doors. It sounded like someone was trying to get in but the palace guards won't let him. The wooden doors flung open as they were kicked by the intruder in the form of a blond man wearing glasses. The guards were pulling him from behind but he was apparently a man of great strength. He had managed to take one step at a time as he dragged the guards along with him.

"Marco?" Lyserg stood up looking bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"Release him!" Ren ordered his men after realizing who it was.

The palace guards bowed down and left the throne room in a hurry.

Marco smoothened the wrinkles on his coat before walking towards the couple. People were staring at him with distaste.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry to interrupt your wedding but I've been trying to reach out to you since morning. I'm not being allowed inside the palace as I cannot present an invitation letter."

"Have you heard of RSVP?" Chocolove asked out loud. No one dared to laugh at his joke or maybe no one thought it was even a joke. The atmosphere in the throne room was tense as all eyes were focused on this strange man.

"What is going on, Ren? Who is he?" Queen Anna grabbed her husband-to-be's arm and shot him a confused look.

"Your Majesties, my apologies for causing a commotion... My name is Marco Lasso, butler to Duchess Jeanne of Mont St. Michel. I would like to share with you the news that she had given birth two weeks ago... to your son..."

The throne room was filled with gasps. The bride slowly removed her grip of the groom's arm. "You had someone else...?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry..." Ren avoided her gaze. His suspicions were confirmed at such an awful timing. He wasn't prepared to face the horrible truth about what had happened on that particular night.

"I am not here to stop you from marrying your fiancée, Your Highness. But I need you to know that if this union pushes through, your son will become an illegitimate child. Perhaps even an orphan soon... My sick mistress does not know that I am here. Her and the young master's best interests are the reason I have come."

The Kaminari king spoke. "Let's talk alone, Marco. We need not involve our guests here."

"How about we proceed with the wedding reception? I am famished! I think I can smell the food!" King Horo Horo suggested out loud. He was lying of course. He just wanted to get out of the awkward situation.

"Probably not a bad idea. Everyone, thank you for coming to our wedding. Please go to the ballroom and enjoy the feast that we have prepared for you." Anna pointed at the opened doors.

People followed the bride's request and lined up to the exit. They would probably be talking about this for months. When the final guests have left, the queen addressed her bewildered groom, "Ren, I am not here to judge whatever you did while I was gone but I would have appreciated honesty. Please deal with this as a man. I'll be waiting at the palace garden if you need me. Let's talk later..."

* * *

Anna let the train of her gown sweep up the dirt from the stone path outlining the Kaminari palace garden. She wouldn't be getting married that day, that's for sure. She threw the bouquet of roses at the side and stopped in front of the statue of Ren's grandfather. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at it for a while.

"I promised to be a good wife to your grandson... But in reality, I am not sure if this is what I wanted. Ren owes me an explanation. He was keeping a secret from me all this time... but I wasn't totally honest with him either..."

"Why are you talking to the statue?" A familiar voice asked from behind her.

It was the king of Kasai. "Go away, Hao. It's none of your business. Why don't you just go to the ballroom and gossip with the other guests about how disastrous this wedding had turned out to be?"

"Er... I am not actually my brother..." The monarch gave her a trademark grin that she knew belonged to only one of the Asakura twins. "Faust let me pack a suit before we left in case I needed it while on mission. You look so beautiful, Anna..."

The blond queen did not respond right away. She looked at him from head to foot. He appeared more mature now. They all were actually. She shortened the distance between them then reached out to touch his cheek as she stared at his face. She was trying to figure out if it's really her Yoh or it's just Hao playing a prank on her. There was only one way to find out... Without warning, she slapped him hard.

"Ouch!" Yoh rubbed his red cheek. "I think I deserve that..."

"Must you always pretend to be someone else when you come to Kaminari? I hate your hair. Why did you let it grow that long? You look like your brother."

"Well... we are identical twins... That's why I was able to enter the palace without presenting any invitation letter."

Another slap.

"Being cheeky, huh. That's for dozing off like an idiot on my wedding."

"I'm sorry! I was waiting for the ceremony to start but I couldn't help it. I didn't get enough sleep last night. I was practicing what I would say to stop the wedding."

"That was all for nothing now because you did not get to say it. Someone else stopped the wedding." The Kouku queen scoffed at him.

"You're right... I'm a total idiot, Anna... I'm a self-righteous royal blood who thought I carried the whole weight of the kingdom on my shoulders. I apologize for not even trying to fight for you..." Prince Yoh lowered his head.

"Well, why didn't you?" she asked in a low tone.

"Because I was hurt... You didn't want to wait so the first thing that came into my mind was that you've already chosen Ren over me. I thought it made sense since you've known him since childhood. He had searched far and wide for you and had gone great lengths just to be with you again... There's no way I could compete with that."

"You almost died for me, stupid. Give yourself some credit." Anna grumbled.

"At that time, I didn't think I was better at him in any aspect... I have been trained to be king since I was ten years old... and then all of a sudden, I did not become one... Yet I made a promise to my father before he died. I must serve Kasai and that would mean leaving you behind for long periods of time so I thought you choosing Ren would be the most sensible thing to do as queen."

"I was about to end the arranged marriage with Ren on that day, Yoh... I admit I was mean when we last spoke because I got so emotional when you said you had to leave... That was a mistake and another one is expecting you to at least fight for me even though I said no..."

"I apologize, Anna... My emotions got the better of me that time... Each day that we were miles apart, I realized how much I love you and I couldn't bear to let you go..." The Kasai prince tried to enclose her in an embrace but Anna moved one step back.

"Yoh, please understand... The man who I love left me and did not even attempt to communicate while he was away. Then he showed up after almost a year telling me that he did not fight for me because he had some inferiority complex over my best friend and fiancé who apparently had sex with another girl and kept it as a secret. Then on my wedding day, a stranger barged in announcing to all our guests that he had a son with her! I don't think I'm ready to forgive and forget all of that in an instant... This whole love and arranged marriage thing have been too exhausting for me. I want to do it on my own terms and right now I just want to take a break from it all."

"You.. love me?" The prince grinned at her. It was the first time he heard her say it.

"Have you even heard the rest of my sentences?" Anna wanted to scream out in frustration.

"Please let me make it up to you... I would do everything to make you fall in love with me again..." The Kasai royal took her hand.

"While you're on a mission?" The queen raised an eyebrow at him. "There's no way you would be able to do that."

"I'll try anyway, even if you tell me not to."

"Let's see about that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the comments I read about this chapter in Fanfiction.net was that Yoh's reason didn't make any sense. I realized that it's true after proof reading the chapter so I changed Anna and Yoh's conversation a bit.


	12. Lyserg's Predicament

Hao slowed down as he passed by the open doors of the Kaminari throne room. He took a quick look and found the place empty. It would seem that the wedding ceremony was already finished but after eavesdropping at the two palace guards stationed by the door, it sounded like the wedding did not happen at all. He heard them gossiped about a mysterious blond man who showed up claiming that the king had a son with another woman. One of the palace guards who looked like he was a loyal supporter of the Tao monarchy shook his head in disappointment. The king seemed devoted to the Kouku queen so the entire palace was in shock after finding out that he cheated.

"I should have been here, you know. That would have been too awesome to let pass." He told the blond medicine man walking along side him.

"I had a lot to report, Your Highness. Surely, you would be interested about our year-long exploits in a foreign land?" The Kasai king was about to leave the palace to attend the wedding at Kaminari when Faust unexpectedly showed up at the throne room and told him in great detail about their mission since day one.

"You could have informed me ahead of time through a telegram that you would be going home." The monarch told him as they strolled down the hallway to the grand ballroom.

"My apologies. I was just excited to come back for a vacation..."

"Without my brother? That seems odd though... You don't have to lie to me, Faust. I know this was just a delaying tactic so Yoh can sneak into the Kaminari palace." King Hao grinned at him.

The medicine man dropped his jaw. "Are you spying on us in Morphia?"

"No, it's just that my brain's far superior than yours. I knew about Jeanne being pregnant with the Tao's child, too. I may have told Marco about it..."

"What?!"

* * *

_Flashback_

_Hao sat down on the mat while Kanna, Marion and Matilda were setting up the food on the table. It was the first time he had been this carefree ever since he became king. He needed to take a break from all the royal responsibilities thrown at him. That was one of the many differences between him and Yoh. His brother was as lazy as him but he was the twin who took responsibility more seriously. Ever since their father died, Yoh had become so uptight and relentless in making Kasai a better kingdom that he did not know how to slow down or make compromises._

_"I hope you are satisfied with the accommodation?" Tamao appeared by the door. She reserved for him this private villa that was especially built for high-profile guests._

_"Horo Horo wanted to book this but I told him it's still being renovated."_

_"Well, it's my father's house after all. I get first dibs on any room in this inn."_

_"Of course, anything for my king although Horo Horo would have brought in more income. Anyway, I will leave you now. That goofball might start exploring the inn. We wouldn't want him disturbing your peace now, would we?" Tamao beckoned her employees to follow her out and leave their distinguished guest._

_A few minutes after the staff had left, Hao heard familiar voices conversing in front of the private villa. He peered outside the window and saw silhouettes of what seemed like two girls. They were seated on the chairs in the front porch. When his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he realized that it was Pirika with his ex-fiancée's girly-looking cousin called... Never mind... He cannot remember something insignificant._

_"This place is huge! Tamao even had an exclusive villa built. I'm really glad she's doing well." Pirika gazed at the hotspring in front of her. "Hey, Lyserg... I've been meaning to tell you this earlier..."_

_"What is it, my dear?" The future Duke of Morphia lovingly asked his girlfriend._

_"I don't want you keeping secrets from me."_

_The boy was clearly startled. "I'm not.. I swear Pirika!"_

_"Then what about Jeanne? You've been keeping mum about what happened to her..."_

_Yeah... What about your cousin? Hao thought from behind the wall. He had known that she had been taking medicines because she had the same disease as her father. It was hereditary they said. Had it progressed?_

_Lyserg sighed. "Don't tell this to anyone especially to your brother... Jeanne is pregnant..."_

_Pirika covered her mouth. "Who is the father? Is it Hao?"_

_"No!" Lyserg cried out in disgust._

_No! The Kasai king screamed silently at them. He may be a pervert but he had never laid a finger on Jeanne. She was more like a sister to him - - - a sister who was always confined to a room that he would often forget she existed._

_"She wouldn't tell..." Lyserg whispered. "But I think it's Ren..."_

_The Kouri princess gasped._

_Interesting... Hao grinned to himself._

_"I think something happened between them on the night of the Royal Friendship Ball... I wanted to ask Ren but I don't want to ruin his chances at happiness. He was elated to find, Anna. I saw it with my own two eyes. On the other hand, I feel guilty because Jeanne is family. I should have been looking out for her especially now that she is carrying a child in spite of her sickness..."_

_"Ohhh Lyserg..." Pirika hugged him tight. "I know you're torn but Ren has to know. What if he finds out from someone else? He would think that you have betrayed his trust once more. I am sorry to hear about Jeanne... I was hoping that her medications were working well for her..."_

_Ohhh? The girlfriend knows about the disease? That was a secret within the clan. Good for you. You're now part of the family. And thank you, Lizard. This is some information I could use. Hao snickered and gave a thumbs up to Lyserg from behind the window._

* * *

"So what did you do to that information?" Faust inquired.

"I've been writing letters about the trade deal to Jeanne before. Like I mentioned in my telegram to you, she wasn't replying and we both know why. So I decided to send one to Marco. The guy loathes me so much that he would immediately notice if I've sent him a letter that's addressed to him and not to his mistress. I knew that he is desperate given the duchess' condition. I told him that I had information about the real father of Jeanne's baby. I would gladly disclose it to him in exchange for his assistance in convincing the Kasai clans to come back."

"So how did he do it?" Faust asked with great curiosity.

"I instructed him to bring a copy of the trade agreement to the Tamamura and Sugimoto clan heads. Father had been friends with the Duke for years but they were both dead so there was an opportunity to update the terms and conditions. I specified there that the Dukedom of Mont St. Michel would only allow trade with businesses physically located in Kasai."

"Oh... You sneaky bastard." Faust chuckled. "That would mean the Kasai clans can no longer continue their newly established businesses in Mont St. Michel."

"And in Morphia, Comedia, and the Royal Patch Academy's territory. Those four are a trade bloc. One agreement applies to all." Hao waved a finger. "So Marco made it sure that the clans were present during the signing of the trade agreement at the mansion so they would know they had no other place to go but home. Those two clans have no network outside Kasai and Mont St. Michel so it was too risky and costly to establish a new business again in another land."

"I had to give it to you, Hao but not entirely... I think they were also moved by Jeanne's speech and Yoh's persistence."

"You think highly of people, Faust. That's why you're friends with my brother. But no, I don't reckon they were moved at all. To continue with my story, after receiving your telegram about the clans' decision to go back to Kasai, I sent one to Marco right away. I told him the truth."

"What if you were wrong and it wasn't Ren Tao all along?"

"Then I destroyed someone's life but saved my brother's. That's all that matters to me."

* * *

**Later that night...**

Ren sat down on the balcony of his chamber and stared at the sea. This view always had a calming effect on him. He had spent almost an hour there listening to the waves as they crashed against the rocks, contemplating about the recent turn out of events that had crushed his future plans. He was exhausted mentally and physically. He spent the whole day speaking with different people explaining what just transpired at the disastrous royal wedding.

Lyserg approached him to beg his forgiveness once more after his closed door meeting with Marco. He couldn't stay angry at his friend. The poor guy did try to tell him but he was always shutting him down. He was too afraid to know the truth especially when his dream of marrying Anna was almost at his fingertips.

A few minutes after speaking to Lyserg, his mother and his sister found him down the hallway and cornered him to demand for answers. They cried and hugged him after hearing his story. They wanted to come to Mont St. Michel to see the baby. Regardless of the circumstances that brought him to the world, the baby was his own flesh and blood. The Taos would exalt a son above anyone else because it would ensure the continuity of their clan even if the boy was a bastard.

Then he had to announce to the guests at the ballroom that the wedding would not push through anymore but they could still enjoy the food and drinks prepared for the feast. The cooks would be utterly displeased if the food would not be served as they had been putting so much effort into preparing the meal since morning. Kaminari had spent a lot for the wedding celebration and it would be such a waste of time and money if their guests would not at least partake of the meal. Extra people were hired to help with the food service, music, decorations and security. All of them were expecting to get paid by the end of the day with or without a wedding. So, no, he did not have the time to nurture a broken heart.

Night came and he wasn't able to talk yet to the most important person who needed his explanation. Ren did go to the royal palace garden to check on Anna but he saw her with Yoh Asakura. He was certain it was him although he was dressed like his brother. He spotted Hao drinking with the medicine man called Faust in the Kaminari palace ballroom. There's no way Yoh would have checked out the bosoms of their female guests.

"Your Highness, your wife er... fiancée.. er... the Kouku queen is here to see you." A palace guard softly knocked at his door. He had just started his shift that night and might have heard rumors about what had happened at the wedding ceremony earlier.

"Let her in." He called out.

Anna came inside wearing her night gown. "So you've been hiding in your room the whole day?" she asked.

"I thought you went back to Kouku..." He said without looking at her.

"Well, I was supposed to stay here had things not gone awry... Besides, I don't want to leave you in this wretched state." The blond queen stood next to him. They stared up at the night sky in silence.

"I thought you were her when we did it..." The Kaminari king whispered. "I was not in the right mind when it happened."

"Ren, stop... I did not come for your explanation. Your mother and sister went to me separately and told me the same story so I believe them. I believe you... I had to let my anger pass before I can see you."

"Anna, why are you still here? Yoh Asakura came back for you." There was some bitterness in his voice. Even if Marco did not show up today, the wedding would still have been stopped because the Kasai prince returned to win Anna back.

"Because my best friend needs me..." The Kouku queen took his hand. She rarely initiated such gesture so the Kaminari king immediately intertwined his fingers with hers. He would savor the moment that he could still do this with her.

"So what's your plan?" Anna asked.

"I'll be sailing for Mont St. Michel in three days. I will go see Jeanne and her child. Mother and Jun will be the advance party. They will leave tomorrow morning with Marco. They will be stopping by Jun's place first so Mother can visit Father."

"Ren, let me come with you... You don't have to do this alone... I may have not been a lover to you most of the time but I have been and will always be your best friend..."

The Kaminari king nodded and kissed her hand. And for the rest of the night, they sat next to each other staring up at the starry sky.


	13. The Heir of Kaminari

**Four years later...**

The closet in Mommy's chamber was his most favorite hiding place in the world. He liked to squeeze himself between the silk, satin, lace and cotton dresses until his back would hit the wooden board. He would wait for her there with great anticipation while inhaling the scent of Mommy's clothes. They reminded him so much of the roses back at home.

"Men... Men... Where's my little tiger cub?" He could hear Mommy calling out his name. He sniggered but remembered that Mommy had a sharp sense of hearing. He immediately covered his mouth so she wouldn't be able to catch him there.

It was too late. The doors of the dresser were pulled open and he saw Mommy's pretty face smiling at him.

"There you are... I had a hard time finding you. You're getting better at this game, my little Men..."

Mommy pulled him out and carried him in her arms. "Let's get you ready. Your father is coming with Uncle Lyserg to fetch you."

He hugged her tight. If Father was here then he would be coming back home soon. He would miss Mommy again. "Come with Men, Mommy..." He placed his little hands on her cheeks and removed the strands of golden hair that had strayed on her face.

"Mommy will come visit Men. Don't worry... I think you will have fun in Kouri. Uncle Horo Horo and Aunt Pirika will be there."

"Men?" Father called out to him from downstairs.

They went down to greet him. Father immediately took him and threw him into the air. He also missed Father. He was away most of the time. Mommy said Father had to help Marco because Mother was not there anymore. He could not remember what Mother looked like. They said she got sick really bad so she went to Grandfather's place. Wherever that was. Mommy would show him paintings of Mother when she was younger. She was really beautiful, too. He got his eyes and hair from her.

"How is my little boy?" Father asked him as he raised him above his head.

"Ren, if you drop him, I'll never let you play with him again."

Uh oh. Mommy seemed angry at Father.

"I won't. Don't worry." Father smiled at her.

"Hey, Anna! It's been a long time." Uncle Lyserg entered the main door holding two boxes. Good thing he was there. Men did not want Mommy and Father to fight.

"These are gifts for you... and for my little nephew..." Uncle Lyserg handed them each a box. "Maybe open them when we come back from Kouri. And ohhh, there are still more gifts, Anna."

Men grew excited. He surely liked surprise gifts! He only received presents on his birthday. Every year on his birthday, Father and him would cross the sea in a big ship and they would go visit Mother's house where Marco lived. Then the three of them will go to this quiet place where there were stones with squiggly lines on them. They said Mother and Grandfather were there but he couldn't see them. Then they would go to Auntie Jun's house and he would play with Other Grandfather for hours.

"I got this! I got this!" Uncle Yoh entered carrying a pile of boxes. He looked like a court jester juggling things with his hands.

Mommy asked some palace maids to help goofy Uncle Yoh. When he was freed of the boxes, Mommy wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. Men only saw Uncle Yoh a few times in a year but Mommy was very happy whenever he was around.

"How is the little rascal?" Uncle Yoh ruffled his hair. Men hated it when he does that but today he would forgive him because he brought gifts.

"We found him at the port of Morphia with Faust. They were also on their way here so we invited them to sail with us." Father explained to Mommy.

"Faust wanted to visit Eliza at the burial ground first. He would be coming over for a courtesy call." Uncle Yoh added.

Men hoped Uncle Faust won't show up. He was afraid of him. He had scary eyes and teeth.

"Well, you, three better get going so you don't end up on the road after dark. I hope Pirika says yes. Good luck!" Mommy squeezed Uncle Lyserg's hand.

"It's Horo Horo whom I'm worried about but thanks, Anna!" Lyserg bowed down at Mommy.

"Thank you for taking care of Men..." Father kissed Mommy on the cheek.

"I always got your back, Ren. Anyway, I love doing it. See you when I see you, my darling!" Mommy kissed Men on the forehead. She also gave Father a peck on the cheek before seeing them off.

* * *

Lyserg watched his nephew sleep on Ren's lap. Despite the bumpy carriage ride, the little boy had managed to doze off. He looked so much like his father except for the color of his eyes and hair. There was no mistaking he was Ren and Jeanne's son.

They were on their way to the Kouri palace to ask the king for his sister's hand. Ren wanted to support his friend in case Horo Horo would outright refuse. It would also be an opportunity for Men to go see Kouri. The Kaminari ruler wanted his son to be familiar with the Four Kingdoms. He didn't have that chance when he was a little boy.

"Thank you, Ren... " Lyserg said to him out of the blue.

"What for?" The Tao monarch asked.

"For accompanying me to Kouri... For making Men your heir. You didn't have to marry my cousin after what she did..."

"It's for the better. Marco and I had to read through legal documents to check if there's a way to let Men carry the Tao family name without being married to his mother. There was none. We had to present a marriage certificate so my son can use my last name in his birth record. Marco even suggested that we let Men keep the Mont St. Michel name and that I can just adopt him into the Tao family afterwards but that sounded absurd! Men is my own flesh and blood, why would I adopt my own son? Yet, Kaminari will not acknowledge him as the heir if he isn't a legal Tao. He will just be a bastard in people's eyes. I won't let that happen to my boy..." King Ren stroke his son's hair.

"I had to make a decision right then and there because Jeanne was dying. She hadn't taken her medicines during the entire pregnancy and her health deteriorated after giving birth. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice your own happiness for your child. You'll understand it more when you become a parent, Lyserg."

"You're a good person, Ren." His friend smiled at him. "Well, I don't know if this is reassuring but you're a widow now... So you have the legal right to marry again if you find the right one for you..."

"I don't want to think about it yet. I already have my heir. Besides, Men will be more confused. He had known Anna as his other mother. She was there with us from the very moment we brought Men back to Kaminari. My son knows that he has two grandfathers so he thought he had two mothers as well. It's kind of cute."

"If Anna marries you know who, then Men will have two fathers." Lyserg teased him.

The Kaminari king scoffed. "I'm the only father Men will ever know. He will just be goofy Uncle Yoh and nothing more."

* * *

**At the Kouku burial grounds...**

"Ahhh... I knew it was you who arrived this morning..." Ryuu approached Faust whom he found sitting down in front of Eliza's tombstone. Manta waved at the medicine man as he walked with his former partner.

"Hey... Thank you for maintaining this place." Faust stood up to pat Ryuu's back. "I really appreciate what you've done here while I'm away."

"It was nothing. I hope Eliza likes the roses. Manta here is delivering a fresh bunch from the Kasai palace garden every time he visits. Don't worry, it was approved by the king."

"How are you, Manta? Hope your family business is thriving." Faust beamed at the little man.

"I'm doing great, thanks! I'm here to close another business deal actually. Queen Anna called for me. She wanted to build a playground for Prince Men Tao."

"I see... Good for you... More projects, more coins."

"What are you planning to do after your mission, Faust?" Manta asked. "Ryuu told me you're down to the last clan."

"I don't know really... Hao seemed an independent king. He doesn't need an adviser... And Yoh, I think he would be staying in Kouku permanently." Faust sighed. "I wish I can be with my wife soon..."

He stared at Eliza's tombstone once again. Then he shifted his gaze at the two tombstones next to his wife's. "I wonder what Amidamaru and Mosuke are doing now in the afterlife."

Ryuu thought for a while. "They are probably drinking." He chuckled. "Hey, do you want to go to the pub?"

"YES! I miss the local ale here. Come with us, Manta." Faust tried to convince him.

"Er... I have to go back to Queen Anna to report about the dimensions of the playground." The little man looked hesitant. He did not like the feeling of getting wasted. He had not done that for a very long time.

"Oh come on, Manta. Queen Anna is probably busy with Prince Yoh. Just come back tomorrow."

Ryuu and Faust each took an arm and drag him along.

* * *

**At the Kouku palace...**

"Hey Anna, were you able to receive the letters I sent to you from Mu? It is such a huge continent! Even larger than the Four Kingdoms!" Prince Yoh exclaimed. He sat on a chair while the Kouku queen trimmed down his hair.

"Stop fidgeting, Yoh!" Anna scolded him. "Yes, I did receive them. In fact, I've been reading them before I go to sleep."

Whenever Yoh came back to visit her, the Kouku queen would cut his long hair short. They had been doing this home coming ritual for four years now.

When the prince was away on a mission to a foreign land, he would write a letter to her everyday then send them altogether whenever possible. He was frugal in spending the allowance provided by Hao and he had to do side jobs to earn extra coin for his personal expenses. Faust was also helping him out with finances because he had no one else to support. He started mixing concoctions again as there was an abundance of medicinal herbs in the new places they visited.

The prince also requested his twin brother to have a bouquet of roses from the Kasai royal garden delivered to the Kouku palace on a daily basis. This time, it was Yoh's name that was written in the message but Hao would sometimes add a postscript just to annoy Anna.

Every time the prince went home, he brought with him souvenirs from exotic lands such as spices, scarves, and trinkets for Anna, and mini statues and wooden toys for Men. The Kouku queen wasn't big on gifts. Just him coming home to her was enough but she appreciated the thought. She had kept all the items in a box along with the necklace with a three-rose pendant, his very first gift to her. Those things deserved a special place among her stuff. She was planning to give it to Yoh when they grow old so he could open it and reminisce his travels.

"I am almost finished. There." The queen brushed off the strands of dark hair from his shoulders.

Yoh stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He always felt like a renewed man after a hair cut. "I'll grow it out again for you. I know you love trimming my hair and I love it when you do it."

"It would have been faster if you would just use the Harusame to slash it." Anna suggested while arranging the comb and scissors inside the drawer. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist.

"I miss you... I wish you were there with me..." He buried his face on her golden locks. "There's only one more clan that we need to convince then I can finally be with you..."

"This soon? And I thought I would be waiting forever." Anna shut the drawer close. She felt him withdraw his arms around her. For a minute she thought that she had hurt his feelings again. He was so sensitive! She was only messing with him.

"Please turn around..." Yoh whispered behind her.

The blond queen granted his request. When she turned to face him, she found him bending on one knee and offering to her a small box containing a diamond ring.

"Anna Kyouyama, four years may not be enough to prove to you how much I love you. Will you spend eternity with me so I can show you everyday?"

The blond queen choked back her tears. She wasn't really expecting this to happen so soon. "Yes..." she said in a soft voice before pulling him up.

Yoh couldn't contain his joy. He immediately inserted the ring on her finger and enclosed her in a tight embrace.

"I already informed my brother that I want to marry you after completing the mission. I have been saving up coins to cover the wedding expenses so as not to burden you or Hao. Kasai wouldn't be able to organize something as grand as the one you had in Kaminari though..."

Anna placed a finger on his lips to shut him up. She pulled him by the collar of his shirt and whispered. "I don't care. Just kiss me." And they locked their lips like it was their last.

"I love you, Yoh Asakura..."

After that, they made love for the first time.

* * *

**In the Kouri palace throne room...**

"So... How are you, young man?" Horo Horo smiled at the little Kaminari prince who immediately hid behind his father.

"My name is Men not Man..." the boy replied.

"Awwww... That's so cute. I wish I had one, too..." The Kouri king clasped his hands together.

"Find a girl first, brother," Pirika teased him as she walked closer to the throne. She gave Men a high five, patted Ren at the shoulder, and went straight to Lyserg's side. Then she flashed a finger with a sapphire ring for everyone to see.

"Are you giving me the dirty finger, Pirika?" King Horokeu squinted his eyes. "I am appalled at your sudden disrespect towards me."

"Argh, brother. Must I state the obvious? Lyserg and I are engaged!"

"What?! Did Father approve?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I went to him first. He even helped me choose the ring for Pirika." Lyserg assured him.

 _Traitor._ Horo Horo muttered under his breath. "How many years have you been in a relationship?"

"More than four years, brother." Princess Pirika gritted her teeth. She knew where this conversation was going. She wanted to call him horse face and maybe let out a few curse words but a child was there.

"How about another four years more?"

"What?!" Lyserg and Pirika looked at each other with desperation written all over their faces. They had tried their best to adhere to all of the king's conditions while they were in a relationship. Lyserg had been made to take an oath to not apply for the position of Royal Police chief when his father retires. The Kouri king thought that the job would endanger the life of his sister to which the future Duke of Morphia agreed. His mother was killed by an assassin after all. Then Lyserg had to learn everything about the kingdom and close a trade deal with their neighboring monarchies in behalf of the king of Kouri. He and Pirika weren't even allowed to be alone in one place without Tona stalking them. It was just unfair for Horo Horo to stop them from moving on to the next level when they had faithfully stuck to the end of the bargain.

"What's going on, Father?" Men asked out loud. "Why is Uncle Horo angry?"

Ren squatted so he could talk to his son face to face. "He's not angry at you, Men. He doesn't want Uncle Lyserg and Aunt Pirika to be together."

"But why?" the child inquired further.

"Yeah, why Uncle Horo?" Pirika placed her hands on her hips and glared at her brother.

"Because..." Horo Horo took a deep breath. "Uncle Horo will be sad if Auntie Pirika would go away with Uncle Lyserg. Uncle Horo will miss his little sister so much..."

The Kouri princess started to sob. She almost forgot that getting married meant leaving the family she had grown up with behind.

"Don't be sad, Uncle Horo. Uncle Lyserg will take care of Auntie Pirika for you. I know because Father takes care of Mommy while Uncle Yoh is away." The little prince smiled at the king.

"That's the most beautiful thing I ever heard someone say..." Horo Horo sniffed. "If Lyserg would love Pirika the same way as Ren had loved Anna then I approve of this marriage."

"Oh, thank you big brother!" Pirika ran crying to the king and hugged him tight.

"Get in here, future brother-in-law. We are a family of huggers." Horo Horo beckoned Lyserg who happily obliged.

* * *

**Later that night...**

"So... you allowed Pirika to marry Lyserg. We should be celebrating! Why are you sulking here?" Tamao refilled the cup of her inn's number one customer.

After Lyserg and Ren's visit, the king of Kouri left for Funbari Inn to contemplate on his decision. There's no backing out now. He had already given them his blessings. He just wanted to drink all his sorrow down while the thought of his sister going away lingered. "I guess I'm just really sad... Pirika is my baby sister. She grew up so fast and now she's leaving the nest."

"Maybe you're just afraid to be the only one left behind when people around you have moved on and you're still stuck in the same situation. It's normal, Horo."

"Hmm... Maybe I should open an inn seeing that it had helped you move forward. You could use a little competition." The Kouri king teased her.

"Don't you dare!"

"Or I can buy your inn and you can live in the Kouri palace with me."

"Hmmm... nice try but I have another proposition. How about you try wooing me first? Then let's see after four years." The mistress of the inn poured herself a cup of ale and gave the Kouri monarch his refill.

"Challenge accepted." Horo Horo grinned at her.

They clinked their cups and drank the contents in one gulp.


	14. The Last Mission

**Six months later...**

> _"My Dearest Anna,_
> 
> _I hope you'll smile today with this good news. I have finally convinced the Yonedas to return to Kasai. They are the last clan in our list. After sending this letter, Faust and I will be heading home. I might even pop at your doorstep by the time you receive this letter._
> 
> _I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you give birth to our child. I was really happy when you said you were pregnant in our last correspondence. I love you, Anna and little Hana, too. See how excited I am? I already gave our child a name. I hope you will approve._
> 
> _Forever yours,_
> 
> _Yoh"_

The Kouku queen caressed her belly as she stared out the window. She had been reading her fiancé's letter over and over again. It came this morning with a promise that Yoh would be arriving any time soon. Every half an hour she would look out the window to check if a carriage had parked in front of the palace but the Kasai prince never showed up. The hours of waiting turned into days and the days turned into weeks.

Maybe Hao had another mission for them. Maybe they had stopped by an exotic city to explore or to buy presents. The worst case she could think of was that they got lost. They had been traveling to new places. It wasn't really impossible.

Then Hao's letter came one morning and he told her something that she did not dare think about. Yoh and Faust might have perished from a sea mishap. The Kasai king said in his message. The ship they boarded never reached the port of Kouku and was never seen again since it left Mu. Sailors speculated that a big wave or a maelstrom might have sunk it down. Common folks living near the port areas circulated rumors that the ship was attacked by pirates and killed everyone on board. Adventurers told stories about a giant seven-headed sea snake who might have crashed the ship into splinters with its coils.

Anna refused to believe any of them. Hao liked to play jokes on her after all. Yet the letters from Yoh stopped coming and the months passed by without a glimpse of his long dark hair and his sheepish smile. The rumors, speculations, and stories eventually died down and so was the hope that Yoh and Faust could still be alive.

The news of their demise spread across the four kingdoms and Kasai was once again in mourning. Anna was there when Kasai rang its bells to signify the death of the prince. She found herself once again with the Asakuras, this time to share with their grief and exchange some theories as to where Yoh and Faust could have ended. They couldn't have possibly disappeared into thin air. Hao was more mellow towards her the whole time she was in their midst. His eyes would fall on her belly bump whenever they crossed paths at the Kasai palace and he would shake his head out of pity each time. She hated that gesture.

She returned to Kouku with no further news from Kasai and found flowers and letters of condolences from their friends here and abroad. Lyserg and Pirika decided to postpone their wedding that year out of respect for her and the Asakuras. No one could ever console her though. Oftentimes, she would stare out of the window and pray to the Great Spirit to deliver her fiancé to her. Sometimes, she would curse at Yoh for making her wait long only to leave her behind again.

Ren was becoming more concerned about her health and her pregnancy. Ryuu reported to the Kaminari king that the queen had cocooned herself in her chamber so it was hard for them to monitor her actions. The palace maids would just deliver her meals there since she didn't want anyone to disturb her. Because of her reclusive way of coping with her fiancé's death, Ren decided to stay in Kouku momentarily. He requested a guest room in the palace for him and Men so they could accompany the queen in her time of need.

Months after Yoh was presumed dead, the Kouku queen gave birth to a baby boy whom she called Hana. Ren stayed by her side during the entire delivery in order to make sure that she had the support she needed. It wasn't an easy one. She cried when she first held the baby in her arms. She cried for his dead father, too.

The first few months after giving birth was a struggle for Anna but the Kaminari king was returning back the favor that she did for Men when he was still an infant. There was never a night when Ren would not check on her or baby Hana.

"I've tucked Men to sleep. That boy had so much energy or maybe it's just me getting old." Ren entered her chamber and gazed at the sleeping baby on the cradle. "I think Hana looks like you, Anna..."

"Hmmm..." was all the blond queen could say. She continued gazing at the sky by the window, still praying to the Great Spirit to give her strength to raise Hana without Yoh.

Ren grabbed a shawl from one of her drawers and covered her shoulders with it. It was one of her dead fiancé's recent gifts to her.

"Everything will be okay, Anna..." The Kaminari king held her hand. "I will help you go through this... You don't have to do this alone... "

"The Great Spirit must have hated me so much, Ren... First my parents then Yoh..." The blond queen's voice quivered. "We were supposed to be together after his mission..." Anna brushed away the tears from her cheeks. She had been mourning for him for months but now she had to be strong for their child.

"Men and I will always be here... And you have Hana now... I promise we won't leave you..."

The Kaminari king did keep his promise. He took turns watching over the baby when Anna or the nanny was exhausted. He was there with the queen when Hana cried for ages when his first tooth came out. He guided him as he took his first steps and had to prevent Men from racing with his "baby brother" towards Anna's arms.

When the boy turned a year old, they threw him a big birthday party and invited all of their friends over. The Asakuras were delighted to see little Hana and were grateful to the Kouku queen for introducing them as his grandmother and great grandparents in spite of him being a Kyouyama on paper.

The king of Kasai was nowhere in sight during the celebration. Anna was relieved that he didn't show up. A wholesome kids' party was not a venue for Hao's perverted behavior. Even if he would come later, he wouldn't get to see his nephew anymore for the baby had already fallen asleep. Anna instructed the nanny to take him to the nursery while she and Ren attended to the guests.

When she got the chance to sneak out of the crowd, she went up to the nursery to check on her child. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw Hao standing by the cradle and peering over the baby.

"What did you do to the nanny?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

"Nothing. It seemed I frightened her away. She looked shock when she saw me... like she had seen a ghost. I guess she thought I was Yoh."

"What do you want Hao?" Anna furrowed her brows.

"I'm just here to visit my nephew. Did you and my brother get married in secret before he died?"

"No."

"Then why did you not practice safe sex?" The Kasai monarch rubbed his left temple with his fingers.

"If you notice, it's too late for that and it's none of your business!" The queen fumed but controlled the volume of her voice so as not to wake the baby up.

"It is my business, Anna. I'm appointing Yoh's son as my heir."

"You can't do that! He is a Kyouyama. He will be the next king of Kouku!"

"And your child with Ren Tao? What will become of him?"

"What are you talking about? We don't have one..."

"I meant your future child with him. You're too naive to think that the Tao king had given up on you. We all need to move on from Yoh's death, Anna..."

The queen grew silent. "It's only been a year since he passed. I don't think I could move on yet... How could you say such things? What about YOUR future child?"

"They're all going to be bastards but I'm always careful so those bastards won't even exist." King Hao told her proudly. "I never wanted to be tied down by one woman. It's so boring having to wake up with the same girl every morning. Where is the fun in that?"

"You're disgusting!"

"Yoh would want his child to be the future king of Kasai. He never got his shot... I can't make Hana my heir if he is not an Asakura in writing. The legitimacy of his rule will be questioned as he is not my son and he is not a legal Asakura. You know the laws of our land. Anything on paper is acknowledged and honored. So here is my proposal to you... When he turns eighteen, we will adopt him into the Asakura clan just like what my grandparents did when my father married my mother so that he gets to carry the family name. Deal?" The Kasai king offered her a handshake.

"It is not for us to decide. Let Hana choose his own path." The Kouku queen gently stroked her sleeping son's head.

"Fine. But when he is not a sniveling infant anymore, let him come to Kasai. Please allow him to get to know his real father and the kingdom for which he had sacrificed his life."

Hao took a small box from his robe's pocket. He opened it and handed it over to the queen. "Keep this and give it to him if he decided to be king of Kasai."

It was the five-point star gold pin with the Asakura crest engraved at the center - - - the heir's insignia. She felt like crying as she held Yoh's heirloom close to her heart but there's no way she would show weakness in front of his arrogant twin brother.

"Dada?" Little Hanna sat on his cradle gazing at the Kasai king. He smiled at him and stretched his little arms hoping he would lift him up.

"Is he asking for milk?" A clueless Hao stared down at the baby as if it was the strangest thing he had ever seen.

"Now you woke him up!" The Kouku queen rushed to her child and carried him in her arms. The infant reached out to touch his uncle's robes.

"See? The little critter wants to come with me to Kasai and be king."

Their conversation was interrupted by the nanny who appeared by the doorway of the nursery. "Your Highness! Your Highness! Prince Men is throwing tantrums downstairs. He is asking for you."

"I'll be down in just a second... Since you want to be part of my son's life, here... Carry him." Anna handed the baby over to the baffled Hao.

"Drop him and I will kill you." She threatened him before rushing downstairs.

The Asakura king wrinkled his nose and held the baby away from him. "Hurry up, Anna! I think the little wart pooped!"


	15. Legacy

**Four years later...**

King Ren and Queen Anna watched the nine year old Men and the five year old Hana turn the Kouri ballroom into a playground. Their nannies were desperately running after the children, fixing their mini suits, and trying to make them behave during King Horokeu and Queen Tamao Usui's wedding feast. Anna did not expect the couple to tie the knot because the Kouri monarch irritated Tamao so much but that observation was made based on the limited time she spent in Kasai. Things had changed apparently. Now, Tamao was chortling at her husband's lame jokes.

"Do you want to dance?" Ren stood from his seat and offered his hand to the blond queen.

She conceded and they walked to the dance area where married couple, Lyserg and Pirika Diethel swayed with the orchestra music. Pirika was five months pregnant and her husband was being extra gentle so as not to tire her out. Marco, the care taker of Mont St. Michel mansion was standing still, looking embarrassed as a noble woman tried to persuade him to become her partner. King Hao was also there dancing with a new woman everytime the music changed. Then there was Chocolove, Ren and Lyserg's school friend who was doing crazy dance moves all by himself. Anna couldn't help but roll her eyes.

When the waltz ended, Lyserg tapped Ren's shoulder and the two friends caught up about life.

"So..." Lyserg glanced at the women as they were discussing something about raising boys. "Did you ask her already?" he whispered to his friend.

"Not yet..." The Kaminari king shook his head.

"Why not? It's been five years since Yoh died... Maybe she has moved on by now?" Lyserg tried to encourage him.

"I'm not sure. We're both busy with our own kingdom's affairs. I wasn't able to visit them in Kouku lately. Their trips to Kasai had also become more frequent. Anna is slowly introducing his real father and the Asakuras to Hana."

"The boy grew up knowing you as his father, too. Maybe it's time to make your little family official."

"I don't know..."

"You really won't unless you ask her!" Lyserg was frustrated at him.

"Hey, are you two fighting?" Pirika approached them looking a bit worried.

"What is it this time, Ren?" Anna placed her hands on her hips. "Are you keeping another secret from me?"

"What?! No! I just want to ask you if you would want to come with me to the... Funbari Inn... to relax." Oh crap, asking someone if she wanted to go to a place previously owned by her dead fiancé was the stupidest thing to do.

"How about the kids?" Anna scanned the ballroom with her eyes looking for the children.

"The nannies are here. The Asakuras and Marco are here. Maybe we could ask them to look after the boys while we are gone? It's just for a night and it's near this place..."

"It's alright, Anna. Brother had prepared rooms for all his guests so they could sleep here at the palace." Pirika assured her.

"Okay... I badly needed time to catch up with my sleep anyway. I'm exhausted..." the Kouku queen finally agreed. She longed for a real vacation where she can relax and eat in peace.

They booked the private villa when they arrived at the Funbari Inn. There weren't many visitors that time. The staff had limited the reservations because the owner of the inn got married that day.

After relaxing in the private hotspring, the couple stayed at the patio of the villa and savored the peaceful evening.

"It's so beautiful here. We should have come sooner..." The king stretched out his arms and legs and positioned himself on the chair next to the queen. "Hey, Men and I miss you. He was elated when I told him you and Hana would be there at the wedding. Sorry for not dropping by Kouku sooner. I had to oversee some repairs at the Kaminari palace. Men also started his tutoring sessions two weeks ago in preparation for the Royal Patch Academy's entrance exam."

"It's fine, Ren. Hana misses you and Men, too. He has no other playmate in Kouku."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you miss us, too?"

"What kind of question is that?! Of course, I miss you both!"

"Relax, Anna. I just want you to be clear about it... By the way, I got something for you. It's in your bathrobe's pocket. I put it there when you were soaking in the hotspring."

"You peeked?" Anna accused him as she fumbled through the pockets of her robe.

"Never! I'm not like Hao!"

The queen felt something small and hard. She took it out to have a better glimpse. It was the engagement ring that Ren gave her almost ten years ago.

The Kaminari monarch reached out to hold her hand. He was nervous a while ago but he calmed down when they had intertwined their fingers. He was afraid that he would get rejected again but Lyserg was right. He should at least try and if she said no, he would try and try again until she had completely moved on. He took a deep breath before saying his speech.

"All these years I still love you, Anna. Well, I did not stop loving you... I know that I can never replace Yoh Asakura in your heart. But.. please spare some space in there for your best friend. I don't care how big the space is. I'd still be happy even if it's a small one. We've dodged our own murders, and we've been through war. It would be an epic story to tell our children and grandchildren, don't you think? But that's not my question, don't answer yet."

Ren went down on one knee. "It felt incomplete when we were not together... Will you marry me again, Anna? I promise it won't turn out to be a disaster like the first."

The Kouku queen half laughed and half cried. It's true. Yoh held a special place in her heart and there was no other one like him. It took several years for her to accept that their story had already ended. Now, she was ready to start a new one with her best friend who had lifted her up from her misery and shared with her joy and struggles. She just had to let him know by saying, "Yes!"

The Kaminari king was over the moon upon hearing her response. It was the second time she said that word to him but it still sounded like music to his ears. As he inserted the ring, the king noticed that the one from Yoh was already gone from her finger.

With tears in her eyes, Anna enclosed him in an embrace and whispered to his ear. "I thought you've never asked. I love you, Ren..."

After nine long years, they once again shared a passionate kiss.

* * *

**Thirty years later...**

King Hana Asakura of Kasai held his dying mother's hand. It was cold as ice as life began to fleet from her. He immediately left for Kouku with his uncle, the former king of Kasai upon receiving his youngest brother's telegram. Uncle Hao took one final look at his mother then quickly left to join the rest of his friends outside. He said he didn't want to remember her like that. He could appear insensitive but Hana knew that his uncle deeply cared for his mother.

His half-brother, the king of Kaminari, Men Tao closed his eyes while he stood by her sick bed. He couldn't bear to watch the only mother he had ever known in pain. He would be forever grateful to this wonderful woman who had loved him equally as the rest of her own children. She never treated him as an outsider even if he wasn't her own flesh and blood.

Their only sister, Queen Seira Tao was crying her eyes out as she held on to her husband, King Yukiharu Usui of Kouri. Her mother was her long-time confidante and number one supporter. Losing her best friend was just too painful especially now that she was pregnant with their family's first grandchild.

Queen Seira's twin brother, King Sora Tao of Kouku was comforting their father as he silently sat on a chair. He immediately reached out to his siblings when the doctor said that their mother had only a few days to live. He had witnessed his mother's health deteriorate over the past week and it pained him to see her weaken day after day. He was also worried about his father who rarely got any sleep because he had never left her side since she fell ill.

"Ren...?" The queen called out to her husband.

The former king of Kaminari took her hand and kissed it. "I'm here, my love..."

"Thank you for being always by my side... You've stuck with me from childhood until death... There's nothing more I could have asked from you... You've been a great husband and father to our children..." she whispered to him. "Please don't be sad when I'm gone..."

"You may go and rest, Anna... The children and I will be fine... We love you..." Ren kissed her hand and wept for his dying wife. "I will always do..."

The queen gazed at her family one last time before breathing her last.

* * *

Anna found herself walking through the woods where she had run as a teenager trying to flee from her parents' murderers. This time she wasn't escaping death.

When she finally reached the calm waters of the Great Spirit's River, she saw her reflection transform into a younger version of herself. She stroked her supple arm and caressed her firm face. The whites on her hair disappeared and her locks were more golden and lustrous than ever. They said when you die, you change back to the time when you were at the happiest point in your life. Anna couldn't fathom why she was seventeen again. Her parents were killed when she was at this age.

Then someone called her name and waved at her from across the riverbank. She crossed the Great Spirit's River bridge and to her surprise, she found the reason why. A seventeen year old Yoh was waiting for her at the other side.

"Hey, Anna. It's been a long time..." He greeted her with his trademark smile when they were only a few inches apart. "Hana is all grown up now."

The blond girl could not believe her eyes. After all these years, she saw him again. "Yoh... What happened to you?" she asked.

"Well... our ship took a detour to avoid encountering pirates. But the waters were more perilous there and a giant wave sank us down one night. I'm sorry... I wasn't able to come home to you... I've been waiting for you since then..."

Anna lovingly stroked his hair. She missed his face. She missed that stupid grin. She missed everything about him. "It's okay, Yoh... We're finally together..."

"Shall we go then, My Lady?" Yoh offered her his arm.

"Go where?"

"Anywhere you want, my love... I will never leave your side this time..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story which was first posted in Fanfiction.net took nine years to complete. I wanted this story to be close ended so deciding on the final pairing took longer. Ultimately, I went for both cause why not? Anna ends up with Ren while she's alive but gets to spend eternity with Yoh after death.
> 
> RenxAnna is such an interesting pairing and I haven't read a lot of fics exploring them as a couple. I was curious as to how their relationship could work because they both have strong personalities.
> 
> It's an alternate universe so I found it befitting that a non-canon couple should end up together. They had been through a lot of things in this story but they were always there for each other until the very end.
> 
> Nevertheless, YohxAnna is forever so I think meeting again in the after life resonates that idea. Yoh's death was foreshadowed in the scene wherein Amidamaru wakes him up from his drug-induced slumber and Yoh asks when he could see him again (in Volume 3: The War of the Four Kingdoms). I hope you weren't shock by his sudden death.
> 
> Anna and Yoh weren't meant to be together when they were alive because they both had responsibilities to their respective kingdoms that require them to be always apart. Once the burden of those responsibilities had been lifted, they could run away together as free spirits, literally. Haha.
> 
> The main plot of the Four Kingdoms was really dark and violent at some point so I thought a bitter sweet ending was more suitable. Plus, I already wrote a story that has a happy ending so I wanted this one to be different.
> 
> More than the plot twists and romance, character development was my favorite part in writing this story. For Anna, the whole point was about making her own choices and getting back control of her life because she is the only person who knows how to make herself happy. For Yoh, it was about taking full responsibility for his actions, taking on new challenges and learning from them. For Ren, it was about his grit to fulfill a seemingly impossible task and his learning to put others first before his personal interests. For Hao, it's about making peace with his family whom he hated since he was a kid. For Horo Horo, it's about moving on from a heart breaking past and finding happiness in the present.
> 
> I also tried to weave some social and ethical issues into the plot. Sexual assault among men is something as equally important to address as sexual assault among women. Yet it's most likely swept under the rug just like what happened to Ren in the story. Furthermore, our relationships with lovers, friends, and family members are what inspire us to become better persons but sometimes we would do unpleasant things in our quest to ensure that we adhere to our commitments to them. Therefore, love has a dual nature. You do good things out of love but you can also do bad things because of it. Love is the driving force of both war and peace. The amount of love and the objects to which love is given are what would determine which way the world would go. So there could never be perpetual chaos nor tranquility.

**Author's Note:**

> This story first appeared in Fanfiction.net
> 
> A/N: In case you're wondering what happened to the rest of the chapters, I have decided to split the story into four volumes. I find it lighter to read and easier to manage that way. Here's the list of volumes for your reference:
> 
> Volume 1: The Four Kingdoms  
> Volume 2: The Heirs of the Four Kingdoms  
> Volume 3: The War of the Four Kingdoms  
> Volume 4: The Reign of the Four Kingdoms
> 
> Thanks for your understanding!


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